Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, Aug 8: As curfew and shutdown enters second month in Kashmir, Opposition National Conference (NC) today protested here against the response of State Government to unrest and demanded an end to bloodshed and use of force including pellets against protesters.
Scores of NC leaders including sitting and former legislators and ex-ministers led by party General Secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar took out a protest march from NC headquarters at Nawai-e-Subh complex to Civil Secretariat. However, they were stopped meters away at Tourist Reception Centre (TRC) square near Zero Bridge by police.
Holding placards, the protesting leaders from Opposition party later staged a sit-in at TRC square and shouted slogans against the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) led coalition Government of the State. The NC accused the Government of “inflicting atrocities” on people of the Kashmir since the unrest started after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Muzzafar Wani which has left over 55 civilians dead so far.
“They are using bullets and pellets, inflicting atrocities on the people, resorting to mass arrests and crackdowns. It is the second month of curfew, crackdowns and bandhs which have caused a lot of problems for the people. Keeping in view all these things, we the National Conference, demand that the Government should stop all this,” Sagar, the NC General Secretary and legislator from Khanyar constituency, told reporters.
He said that the use of pellet guns in Kashmir valley continues even after the assurance of Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh to NC leadership last month during a meeting. “We were assured when we met the Home Minister that the use of pellet guns and excessive force will be stopped immediately, which was even admitted by Chief Minister as well as Home Minister in Parliament, but nothing has been done in this regard yet,” Sagar said.
He castigated Prime Minister Narendra Modi for not making mention of Kashmir in his “Mann ki Baat” programme and termed it “shameful”. “It is shameful that there was no mention of Kashmir in Prime Minister’s ‘Mann ki baat’. Those asserting Kashmir as their integral part fall silent when it comes to pain and misery of the people here. It is a cause of concern and we are protesting against this,” Sagar added.
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