Curfew continues in Kashmir, 59 injured in clashes
HT correspondent and agencies Srinagar/Jammu, July 20, 2013
First Published: 09:40 IST(20/7/2013) | Last Updated: 14:49 IST(20/7/2013)
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Amarnath yatra was halted for the second day on Saturday in view of the curfew. As a precautionary measure, no fresh batch of pilgrims was allowed to proceed towards Kashmir from the base camp in Jammu.
"Due to the prevailing situation, and the restrictions imposed in the parts of the state, the Amarnath yatra shall remain suspended," a spokesman of the Amarnath Shrine Board said. Vehicular traffic has been suspended on the Jammu-Srinagar national highway.
Four persons were killed when BSF personnel opened fire on a protest by locals in Gool area of Ramban, 200 km from Jammu, on Thursday. Protests erupted because BSF personnel had roughed up a religious leader’s brother on Wednesday night following an argument over offering late-night prayers during Ramzan.
The BSF dismissed the allegation, saying a mob had attacked its camp and tried to storm their storehouse of arms and ammunition.
Curfew has been lifted in Ramban district as the two-day curfew period expired last night and no fresh curfew orders were passed. The Gool, Dharam and Sanglandan area of Ramban district, which have been epicentres of protests, have returned to normalcy.
However, there have been fresh protests in Banihal belt of Ramban district where some people have assembled on the highway and are sitting on a dharna demanding the arrest of the people involved in Thursday’s firing incident in Gool. Additional police force has been deployed in the area to ensure that there is no violence.
Meanwhile, curfew - which was imposed in the wee hours on Friday - remained in force in Srinagar, Budgam, Ganderbal and Bandipora districts and Shopian, Pulwama, Kulgam, Anantnag, Bijbehara and Sopore towns.
Meanwhile, curfew - which was imposed in the wee hours on Friday - remained in force in Srinagar, Budgam, Ganderbal and Bandipora districts and Shopian, Pulwama, Kulgam, Anantnag, Bijbehara and Sopore towns.
Restrictions under section 144 CrPC, which does not permit assembly of four or more persons, have been imposed in rest of the valley.
"The situation throughout Kashmir valley is peaceful at this hour. The night passed off peacefully," a police spokesperson said.
He said 59 people, including 49 police and CRPF men, were injured in violent clashes with protesters on Friday. While officials said 10 protesters had been injured in the clashes, unofficially figures are said to be around 24. Six protesters have been shifted to Srinagar hospitals.
In south Kashmir’s Qazigund area, demonstrators surrounded a CRPF camp and tried to set it on fire on Friday evening. The police fired bullets in the air and lobbed tear gas shells to quell the assembly of hundreds of protesters.
Hurriyat chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani has called for a three-day shutdown in the valley to protest the killings. Director general of police Ashok Prasad said, "Restrictions on movement of people would stay at least till Sunday when the strike called by separatists gets over."
In Gool, a complete bandh was being observed. The locals had given a call for three-day bandh, which will end on Monday. The state government has announced judicial inquiry into the incident and an FIR has been lodged. BSF has vacated its Dharam camp in Gool area and handed it over to the police on Friday.
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