Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Feb 16: Normal life in Kashmir valley remained disrupted today in response to a strike call given by the hardline Hurriyat Conference during which widespread protests were witnessed and police arrested over 50 persons.
Curfew restrictions from Kashmir valley were lifted last night after they were imposed last Saturday ahead of the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru. However, there was heavy deployment of police and para-military Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) at sensitive places in Srinagar and other major towns.
Shops and business establishments remained closed, while public transport was off the roads due to the strike call. Some private vehicles were plying on the roads in some areas of the city and other major towns in the Valley.
The hardline separatist Hurriyat Conference chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, had called for two day strike for Saturday and Sunday against Guru’s execution. He has demanded return of Guru’s body to his family for last rites.
A police spokesman said here that 53 stone pelters, miscreants and trouble mongers were arrested from different districts of Kashmir valley. “Thirteen have been arrested from Srinagar, eight from Baramulla, fifteen from Sopore, eight from Anantnag, three from Pulwama and six from Budgam”, the spokesman added.
However, residents alleged that over 200 people were detained across Kashmir by police since last Saturday. Police sources said that most of these people have history of being involved in stone pelting in Srinagar and other major towns of Kashmir valley and they were detained as a precautionary measure. “Some of them were being even let off for the night and again detained in the morning”, the sources added.
The police spokesman said that Saturday passed off peacefully barring few incidents of stone pelting from Maisuma, Rajouri Kadal, Gojwara Chowk, Bohari Kadal and Chota Bazar on moving vehicles in Srinagar city.
The spokesman said that one civilian Nisar Ahmad son of Ghulam Mohammad resident of Makdoom Sahib received stone injury on his nose near Gojwara. He said that some stray incidents of stone pelting were also reported from Anantnag, Baramulla, Sopore, and Vilgam in Handwara. “ASI Baldeep Singh of BSF received minor injury in stone pelting at Baramulla”, the spokesman added.
Reports said that in Srinagar city protesters clashed with police at several places in Maisuma, Nowhetta, Kawdara, Aali Kadal, Rajouri Kadal, Saraf Kadal, Nawa Kadal, Habba Kadal and Safa Kadal. Groups of youth in these areas protested against the execution of Afzal Guru and demanded his body be handed over to the family for last rites. The protesters also pelted stones at police and para-military CRPF resulting in ding dong battles. Police fired tear smoke shells to disrupt the protesters and used batons to chase them away.
Additional Police force was rushed to some of these areas and police enforced restrictions in some parts of these areas to avoid more clashes.
In North Kashmir district of Baramulla, clashes and protests were reported from Khawaja Bagh Baramulla, Chinkipora, Muslim Peer, Ashpeer, Watergam, Ladoora, Doabgah, Manzgam and Sangrama areas. Protesters pelted stones on police and para-military CRPF and BSF and security forces in return charged batons and fired tear smoke shells to disperse them.
In Anantnag town there were protests at Lal Chowk, Lazibal and Janglat Mandi during which protesters pelted stones at police and para-military CRPF while security forces charged batons and fired tear smoke shells to disperse them.
Three persons died and over 100 others injured including 30 policemen in the clashes between protesters and security forces following Guru’s execution. One died in CRPF firing at Watergam while two persons drowned in Ganderbal district when police was chasing them. However, police denied charges and maintained that the two were drowned when their boat capsized in river Jhelum.
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