Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, June 26: Protesters clashed with Police in Jamia Masjid area after Friday prayers in Nowhatta Srinagar in which several people were injured.
Soon after Friday prayers, scores of youth tried to take out a march from Jamia Masjid and some of them waved Pakistan and Islamic State (IS) flags.
As the protesters tried to march towards Nowhatta Chowk Police deployed there fired teargas shells to disperse them.
The teargas shelling created panic in entire area. The worshippers were seen running towards safer places and many of them re-entered Jamia Masjid. However, the masked youth pelted stones at Police and CRPF triggering clashes.
The intense clashes between forces and Government forces continued for over an hour prompting the shopkeepers to down their shutters.
Some photo-journalists were allegedly beaten by police and the locals while covering the protests.
Protests again erupted in the evening after protesters pelted stones at police leading to clashes. The clashes were going on till last reports.
Anjuman-e-Auqaf Committee Jamia Masjid alleged that police forcibly entered the Jamia Masjid and thrashed devotees. The Auqaf has called for a shutdown on June 27 across Srinagar district.
Chairmen of Hurriyat Conferences Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Shah Geelani, and JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik called for shutdown in Srinagar tomorrow against use of force in Jamia Masjid area.
Condemning what they called the police assault on worshippers, they called for shutdown in Srinagar district tomorrow.
In a statement issued Mirwaiz said: “Police violated the basic norms of morality by entering Jamia Masjid, he said that this action of forces has desecrated the sanctity of the mosque and has caused great distress and suffering for the devotees.”
Geelani also condemned the “thrashing of worshippers”. He called for shutdown tomorrow in Srinagar against the “police action”.
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