Protests over GST, bandh hit life in Kashmir
SRINAGAR: Thousands of people participated in the funeral of three Lashkar-e-Taiba militants in South Kashmir who were killed on Friday here. The separatists had called for a strike against the killings of civilians in the security force action on Friday.
As Kashmir was shut on the call of separatists and traders, the one-day special session of the assembly convened to discuss implementation of goods and services tax (GST) was adjourned without passing the GST bill. Three LeT militants, including commander Junaid Mattoo, Nasir Wani and Adil Mir were killed in Arwani village of south Kashmir in an encounter with security forces on Friday.
Two civilians, including a teenager, were also killed during the gun fight as the youth tried to pelt stones on security forces to help militants escape.
People jostled to touch the militants on Saturday as they offered gun salutes to Mattoo in Khudwani village of south Kashmir during the funeral. Similar scenes were reported at the funerals of Wani and Mir.
In supposed reprisal killings, LeT militants on Friday ambushed a police jeep in south Kashmir’s Achabal and killed six policemen. While homage was paid to five of the cops on Friday evening, a wreath laying ceremony was held in DPL Srinagar for constable Tasveer Ahmad Dar. Hundreds of people participated in Dar’s funeral procession and he was laid to rest at his native village Sorasyar Chadoora in Budgam. Authorities had imposed restrictions across the Valley to thwart possible protests. Traders body led by Kashmir Traders and Manufacturers Forum (KTMF) president Yasin Khan was on way to the assembly protesting against GST implementation when police detained many of them near Budshah Chowk, a spokesman of KTMF said. Noisy scenes were witnessed in the assembly as the Opposition MLAs accused Mehbooba-led government of ‘blinding boys and girls using pellet guns’. The NC and the Congress leaders also protested outside the assembly against ‘innocent killings’ in the Valley. Chief minister (CM) Mehbooba Mufti said, “12-year-old boys going to encounter sites with stones or killings of policemen is a repercussion of denial of democracy.”
PROTESTS IN JAMMU
JAMMU: Owing to the terror attack on a police party in Anantnag on Friday, in which six policemen died, protests erupted here on Saturday. Local leader Ashok Gupta said, “It is a big tragedy that people crying hoarse over Kashmir issue are killing Kashmiris especially youth, who come from ordinary background and want to succeed in life”.