Protests in Valley after CRPF jeep crushes man
SRINAGAR ON EDGE Mobile internet services snapped; shops, businesses, schools closed SRINAGAR:
A 21-year-old Kashmiri man died and another injured after being mowed down by a paramilitary vehicle, triggering violent clashes between local residents and security forces in the old city of Srinagar on Saturday.
Jammu and Kashmir’s capital city remained on edge as hundreds of slogan-shouting people marched to the funeral of Kaiser Amin and attempted to carry his body to a local graveyard in defiance of government orders. They were stopped by security forces with tear gas shells and pellets and at least 10 people were reported to be injured. The local administration snapped mobile internet services as shops, businesses and schools remained closed in the region.
Police said Yunus Ahmad and Kaiser were crushed by a Central Reserve Police Force jeep after scores of protesters began shout- ing slogans and allegedly attacked security personnel .
“They (protesters) came very close, and some even climbed on the vehicle. The protesters were trying to lynch those inside the vehicle, and the driver was only trying to get them out of the situation,” he maintained.
The incident triggered war of words between former CM Omar Abdullah and union minister Jitendra Singh. Abdullah tweeted, “Earlier they tied people to the fronts of jeeps and paraded them around villages to deter protesters. Now they just drive their jeeps right over protestors. Is this your new SOP?” Singh, an MP from Udhampur, hit back saying Abdullah’s tweet smacked of “the double standards of Kashmir centric politicians”, adding that the security forces are soft targets for these politicians but they can’t speak against the militants as they can strike back.