Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Sept 8: A police vehicle was torched and six cops were injured as violent protests and clashes broke out across Valley today after Friday prayers against violence on Rohingyas in Myanmar. The protests which were called by Valley’s religious and separatist outfits two days ago prompted the authorities to impose restrictions in certain parts of downtown city.
Hundreds of people soon after culmination of Friday congregational prayers hit streets in Lal Chowk area of Anantnag district in South Kashmir today and resorted to stone-pelting on cops. Witnesses said the cops retaliated by firing teargas canisters but irate protesters cornered them at multiple places and thrashed many of them including an officer while many other cops managed to save themselves.
A group of youth attacked an armoured vehicle of police outside District Magistrate Anantnag’s office and damaged its glasses and window panes. The policemen already abandoned the vehicle and later the protesters set the vehicle on fire. After hectic efforts, police rushed to the spot and dispersed the mob. Although the fire was doused but the inner part of the vehicle was severely gutted.
A police spokesman in a statement said “some miscreants from a mob started pelting stones on the police and security forces deployment at Lal Chowk in Anantnag” today after Friday prayers. “These miscreants also set a police vehicle on fire. The miscreants were chased off by using mild force,” he said.
The spokesman said six police personnel including two officers identified as Deputy Superintendent (Headquarters) Anantnag Mohammad Yousuf, Sub Inspector Junaid Ahmad, Head Constable Gurdeep Singh, Constable Shabir Ahmad, Constable Bilal Ahmad and Constable Javaid Ahmad were injured in today’s Anantnag violence and they were shifted to hospital for treatment. Police said a case was registered and “investigation was set into motion to identify these miscreants”.
Authorities this morning imposed restrictions in various parts of downtown city and sealed off Jama Masjid. The restrictions were mostly placed in Nowhatta and adjoining areas to prevent people from holding post-Fridayprotests. Hundreds of police and paramilitary personnel were deployed in areas under curbs and they placed barricades as well as pools of concertina wires to scuttle civilian movement.
The authorities, apprehending trouble, did not allow Friday congregational prayers at Jama Masjid. The moderate separatist and cleric, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq — who delivers weekly sermons at Jama Masjid — was also placed under house detention. The prayers in other mosques of the downtown were, however, allowed. The restrictions remained enforced in parts of downtown throughout the day till evening.
Protests against violence on Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine State of Myanmar broke out at dozens of places in city and other districts of the Valley. Police said the protests remained largely peaceful and only few incidents of stone-pelting were reported. In summer capital here, the protests broke out at Khanyar, Maisuma, Lal Chowk, Safa Kadal, Nowshehra, Hyderpora, Shalimar and few other places. The incidents of stone-pelting were reported from Safa Kadal and Nowshehra.
All the four districts – Pulwama, Shopian, Anantnag and Kulgam – of South Kashmir witnessed post-Friday protests and rallies against Myanmar. The protests remained peaceful and no violent incident was reported, the police said. In North and Central Kashmir, protests were held at Kupwara, Bandipora, Ganderbal, Budgam and Baramulla after Friday prayers but all of them concluded peacefully.
The State Government employees also staged a protest in city centre against Myanmar today here at Sher-e-Kashmir Park near Lal Chowk and attempted to march towards United Nations office at Sonawar. The employees were led by EJAC president Abdul Qayoom Wani and they were holding placards. They demanded an end to violence against Rohingya Muslims and condemned silence of world bodies. Wani and his associates were detained by police after they tried to move towards UN office.
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