KL Reports
SRINAGAR
Police resorted to heavy teargas shelling when agitated youth on second consecutive day protested and raised anti India slogans in Hajin, after they came to know about the Minister for Higher Education, Muhammad Akbar Lone’s visit in the area on Sunday.
Youth had pelted stones on the cavalcade of the Minister for Higher Education, Muhammad Akbar Lone, in Hajin area of Bandipora district on Saturday.
“As the news that Lone was coming to the area spread, cores of youth resorted to stone pelting. Police and CRPF men used tear smoke shells against them and chased them away, in the meantime Lone’s cavalcade very swiftly left the scene,” eyewitnesses told Kashmir Life.
They added that the protesting youth also raised pro-freedom and anti India slogans on the occasion.
The locals said that the police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) men resorted to heavy teargas shelling to disperse the youth. “Police, and CRPF men fired tear smoke shells to disperse the stone pelting youth,” they said.
They alleged that police and CRPF men chased the protesting youth and beat the people.
Youth had pelted stones on the Lone’s cavalcade on Saturday, as well when he was touring the area.
SSP Bandipora, Bashir Khan however, refused the news out rightly. “There was no stone pelting at all in Hajin today,” Khan said.
But the locals and eyewitnesses told KL that the stone pelting started in the town little before Mohammad Akbar Lone was on his way to somewhere in the area.
The government sources accompanying the Minister confirmed KL that youth pelted stones but they left unhurt. “They were pelting stones when the minister was on his way to Sudenara and Mukdanyar areas on Sunday,” they said.
The locals also allege that police and CRPF men ransacked the houses and smashed the windowpanes of the residential houses and a mosque while chasing away the protesters. Police however refuses this allegation as well.
“Everything is normal in the town, but there is deployment there,” SHO, Hajin Zafar Iqbal told Kashmir Life adding “there was a little trouble on Saturday only but not today”.
Sources said that authorities had deployed large number of Police and CRPF men in Hajin on Sunday, as a precautionary measure because the Minister for Higher Education had to pass through the town.
They added that this measure was taken because of the Saturday’s incident of stone pelting on the Minister’s cavalcade but the youth targeted the deployment resulted in the fresh tension as all the business establishments of the area had to shutter down after the clashes.
