Shutdown, undeclared curfew, clashes mark driver’s funeral
Incessant rain spoils anti-coalition demonstrations; PDP under pressure to review alliance with BJP
Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
_______
SRINAGAR, Oct 19: With near-total shutdown in Kashmir valley on different political and non-political groups’ and alliances’ call and the authorities enforcing curfew without formal declaration in parts of the summer capital, funeral rites of a young truck driver were held in the backdrop of anti-coalition demonstrations and clashes at Botengo village in Anantnag district of South Kashmir. Victim of a petrol bomb attack at Udhampur, on Srinagar-Jammu highway, on October 9th, Zahid Rasool Bhat died at New Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital on Sunday.
Senior government functionaries, including Ministers, bureaucrats and Police officers looked relieved to a great extent as the incessant rains for the whole day did not let potential demonstrators gather and create a major trouble for the authorities. Law and order machinery enforced curfew without a formal declaration in downtown Srinagar and sealed all the roads leading to Zahid’s village, Botengo, in close vicinity of Anantnag district headquarters. Thousands of people did, nevertheless, participate in the funeral procession. Zahid was laid to rest amid anti-India, anti-coalition and pro-Azadi slogans.
Officials maintained that around 1,500 people attended Zahid’s funeral. However, independent reports from South Kashmir put the number of the participants over 3,000. “Rain has spoiled our program. Otherwise, it would have been a gathering of 50,000 people here”, said one Ghulam Mohammad Bhat, a resident of Botengo. He alleged that Police and security forces too held the area under siege and did not allow any outside movement towards Botengo.
At Botengo and around a dozen places in the capital city, demonstrators clashed with Police and CRPF. They shouted slogans against the PDP-BJP coalition, called the ruling coalition as a collaborator of RSS, Shiv Sena and other bigot groups and stressed PDP sever alliance with the BJP. Sources insist that pressure was mounting on PDP and Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed to break his party’s power partnership with BJP. Significantly, PDP as well as Chief Minister sympathised with the bereaved family and the government granted ex-gratia relief of Rs 5 lakh and a regular job for one of the eligible family members.
Reports said that the call for shutdown had a considerable impact all over the Valley as no passenger services operated and few shops and business establishments were open. Many of the government offices and educational institutions did not open for business and transport was off the road at most of the places. Only skeletal traffic services operated on the tense Srinagar-Jammu national highway.
Authorities suspended even the usual train services on Banihal-Srinagar-Baramulla track.
Senior BJP leader and Minister of Human Resources Development Smriti Irani was supposed to be Chief Guest at Islamic University of Science and Technology at Awantipora. She did not travel to Kashmir as the University’s annual convocation was deferred indefinitely due to inclement weather, shutdown over the trucker’s death and a student group’s letter to Vice Chancellor which made it clear that receiving degrees from a BJP leader and a Sangh Parivar supporter was in no way acceptable to the students.
Reporting of stone pelting and clashes with Police and CRPF also came in from some places in northern Kashmir.
At Narbal, a group of demonstrators attacked the PDP’s Gulmarg MLA Mohammad Abbas Wani’s Bolero when he was on way to his home from Srinagar. Side windscreens of the targeted vehicle cracked though the MLA, escorted by his PSOs, proceeded towards his destination of Tangmarg. Mr Wani said it was a minor attack and his vehicle did not suffer much damage.
SSP Budgam Fayaz Ahmad Lone told STATE TIMES that the MLA drove from Srinagar to Tangmarg without informing Police about his travel plan. “Still our SDPO and Police party were present at Narbal. Some boys tossed a couple of stones and a side windshield of the vehicle cracked. He reached his home safely”, SSP Budgam said.
END
Incessant rain spoils anti-coalition demonstrations; PDP under pressure to review alliance with BJP
Ahmed Ali Fayyaz
_______
SRINAGAR, Oct 19: With near-total shutdown in Kashmir valley on different political and non-political groups’ and alliances’ call and the authorities enforcing curfew without formal declaration in parts of the summer capital, funeral rites of a young truck driver were held in the backdrop of anti-coalition demonstrations and clashes at Botengo village in Anantnag district of South Kashmir. Victim of a petrol bomb attack at Udhampur, on Srinagar-Jammu highway, on October 9th, Zahid Rasool Bhat died at New Delhi’s Safdarjung Hospital on Sunday.
Senior government functionaries, including Ministers, bureaucrats and Police officers looked relieved to a great extent as the incessant rains for the whole day did not let potential demonstrators gather and create a major trouble for the authorities. Law and order machinery enforced curfew without a formal declaration in downtown Srinagar and sealed all the roads leading to Zahid’s village, Botengo, in close vicinity of Anantnag district headquarters. Thousands of people did, nevertheless, participate in the funeral procession. Zahid was laid to rest amid anti-India, anti-coalition and pro-Azadi slogans.
Officials maintained that around 1,500 people attended Zahid’s funeral. However, independent reports from South Kashmir put the number of the participants over 3,000. “Rain has spoiled our program. Otherwise, it would have been a gathering of 50,000 people here”, said one Ghulam Mohammad Bhat, a resident of Botengo. He alleged that Police and security forces too held the area under siege and did not allow any outside movement towards Botengo.
At Botengo and around a dozen places in the capital city, demonstrators clashed with Police and CRPF. They shouted slogans against the PDP-BJP coalition, called the ruling coalition as a collaborator of RSS, Shiv Sena and other bigot groups and stressed PDP sever alliance with the BJP. Sources insist that pressure was mounting on PDP and Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed to break his party’s power partnership with BJP. Significantly, PDP as well as Chief Minister sympathised with the bereaved family and the government granted ex-gratia relief of Rs 5 lakh and a regular job for one of the eligible family members.
Reports said that the call for shutdown had a considerable impact all over the Valley as no passenger services operated and few shops and business establishments were open. Many of the government offices and educational institutions did not open for business and transport was off the road at most of the places. Only skeletal traffic services operated on the tense Srinagar-Jammu national highway.
Authorities suspended even the usual train services on Banihal-Srinagar-Baramulla track.
Senior BJP leader and Minister of Human Resources Development Smriti Irani was supposed to be Chief Guest at Islamic University of Science and Technology at Awantipora. She did not travel to Kashmir as the University’s annual convocation was deferred indefinitely due to inclement weather, shutdown over the trucker’s death and a student group’s letter to Vice Chancellor which made it clear that receiving degrees from a BJP leader and a Sangh Parivar supporter was in no way acceptable to the students.
Reporting of stone pelting and clashes with Police and CRPF also came in from some places in northern Kashmir.
At Narbal, a group of demonstrators attacked the PDP’s Gulmarg MLA Mohammad Abbas Wani’s Bolero when he was on way to his home from Srinagar. Side windscreens of the targeted vehicle cracked though the MLA, escorted by his PSOs, proceeded towards his destination of Tangmarg. Mr Wani said it was a minor attack and his vehicle did not suffer much damage.
SSP Budgam Fayaz Ahmad Lone told STATE TIMES that the MLA drove from Srinagar to Tangmarg without informing Police about his travel plan. “Still our SDPO and Police party were present at Narbal. Some boys tossed a couple of stones and a side windshield of the vehicle cracked. He reached his home safely”, SSP Budgam said.
END
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