Kashmir on the boil ahead of governor Satya Pal Malik’s swearing in; 3 killed
Two policemen and a BJP leader were killed, hundreds of civilians clashed with police, and militants carried out three attacks in the Kashmir Valley on Wednesday, a sudden escalation in tensions that coincided with the arrival of the state’s new governor designate, Satya Pal Malik.
Malik, according to officials in the state who asked not to be named, is likely to be sworn in on Thursday to take charge of the state’s administration – replacing NN Vohra who has held the post since 2008.
Kashmir has been under Governor’s rule since June 20 after the last government – a coalition between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) – coltwo-day lapsed. This is the fourth period of Governor’s rule since Vohra took the post, a role that often required him to be a crisis manager, and a role that Malik, a career politician, will now inherit.
On Wednesday, new clashes broke out as hundreds of people protested against the BJP over a court hearing on Article 35A — a law that restricts what people from outside the state can do in Jammu and Kashmir. Separatist organisations have called for shutdown from Sunday against the hearing in Supreme Court.
In attacks that police spokespersons blamed on militants, two constables and a BJP worker who was abducted on Tuesday evening were murdered. The bulletriddled body of BJP’s Shabir Ahmad Bhat was found in the fields in Kupwara. A constable who was killed when he stepped out to offer Eid prayers in Kulgam was murdered by militant outfit Hizbul Mujahideen, a police official added.
Former chief minister Farooq Abdullah got caught in protests as he was offering Eid prayers at Dargah Hazratbal. People standing behind him started shouting slogans against India and showed their wrath to the politician, who was whisked away from the mosque by his security guards.
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