By NAK,
Srinagar : About forty people including SHO Maisuma and seven CRPF personnel were injured in police-public clashes in various parts of city, after people held protest demonstrations against government for land transfer and alleged firing by CRPF on a mob killing a youth and injuring several others last night.
Reports reaching here said that normal life was paralysed in Srinagar city and outskirts with traffic remaining off the roads and city witnesses complete shutdown following the mass protests against ‘land transfer’. Hurriyat conference had given call for mass protest against government decision.
Reports from Ganderbal said that several battles were fought between police and the protestors since the morning as police resorted to cane charge the protesters who threw stones towards Yatra vehicles.
More than ten persons including three police personnel were injured, two of them critically in Ganderbal clashes. Injured persons have been shifted to SKIMS where the condition of cops was stated to be critical.
Police disperse the protesters who later move towards main town and held protest demonstrations chanting anti-government and pro-freedom slogans.
More contingents of security forces were deployed to maintain law and order in the city and in out-skirts.
A group of protesters set PDP Zonal office on fire at Barsoo Ganderbal. “A group of protesters attacked the PDP office and set it on fire”, an eye witness told News Agency of Kashmir adding the protestors were condemning the government move to transfer land to SASB.
Meanwhile protests continued till late this evening in all parts of Srinagar city and other major towns of the valley.
According to sources 6 police officers including the station house officers of Khaniyar, Moisuma, Khoti bagh and Nowhata receive injures during the ding-dong battles between police and public. They have been hospitalized and the condition of one of the police officer was stated to be critical as his leg and arm got fractured.
A civilian was killed while six others were injured during the clashes in different parts of the city and other areas in south and north Kashmir.
Soon after the news of firing over the protesters spread to other parts of the valley people in hundreds came on roads and held protest demonstrations against government demanding cancellation of government order ‘transfer of forest land’ to the SASB for constructing clusters enroute Holy cave at Baltal.
The Official sources told NAK that a group of people last evening took to streets at Nowhatta area, following rumors that senior Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Geelani was injured in the police action.
Raising anti-SASB and anti-government slogans protestors began marching towards the city centre but were stopped by contingent of police and cops of CRPF 96 Battalion, who fired teargas shells and resorted to baton charge. About 25 demonstrators and some police personnel were injured in the ding dong battles that followed.
Later, CRPF opened fire on the protestors. Three people received bullet wounds. The injured were admitted to hospital where one of them, Feroz Ahmad Rah son of Ghulam Muhammad Rah of Badamwari Srinagar, succumbed to his wounds.
Eye witnesses said that cops used unprovoked force on the peaceful protestors sparking clashes.
“Some of the CRPF personnel resorted to lathi charge and later opened indiscriminate firing directly pointing barrel of their guns towards the protesters”, Ghulam Abass one of the protester was quoted as saying”.
However CRPF spokesman Tripathi denied the reports that CRPF open fire on the mob.
He said that seven CRPF jawans were injured in today when protesters threw stones on a Sheraz cinema building housing company battalion of 96 Battalion attacked with stones injuring seven CRPF jawans two of the critically.
“The critically injured two jawans have been shifted to SKIMS while one has been put under medical observation in MI room and others shifted to battalion hospital”, Tripathi told NAK.
Referring to the firing incident which took place last evening, Tripathi said that one of the mobile bankers was on way to battalion head quarter when a group of 70-80 people at Nowhata come out of a street and threw stones followed by firing.
“The guard on duty on top of the mobile banker in self defence fire 22 rounds to disperse the mob” Tripathi told News Agency of Kashmir adding that where the incident took place no CRPF deployment was there.
Meanwhile, reports from Baramulla revealed that Bar Association today boycotted work in court to protest against to the land transfer to SASB and termed it sheer violation of constitution and Article 370.
“We are holding protest demonstration and boycotted work in the court against the transfer of land to SASB which is sheer violation of constitution of Jammu and Kashmir and Article 370” said Advocate Farooq Ahmed Bhat.
The Bar Association Baramulla wants government to revoke on the land transfer order and threatened the government would be responsible for the law and order problems in the state if the transfer of the land was not cancelled.
Land Transfer: PDP files breach of privilege against CEO SASB
Srinagar June 24 (NAK): Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), main coalition partner of ruling government in Jammu and Kashmir, on Tuesday filed breach of privilege motion before the Chairman Legislative Council Ghulam Nabi Lone Hanjura against Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Dr Arun Kumar for using words and language that amounts to undermining the authority and constitutional position of the Legislature of Jammu and Kashmir.
Sources informed News Agency of Kashmir that PDP legislators in the Upper House of State Legislature Murtaza Khan and Syed Basharat Bukhari filed breach of privilege motion against Dr Arun Kumar for using words and language that amounts to undermining the authority of Jammu and Kashmir State Legislature during a press conference at Raj Bhawan in Srinagar on June 18. “The move was apparently initiated against Dr Arun Kumar on his objectionable remarks, he made during a press conference on June 18,” maintained sources..
Sources further informed that the privilege motion has taken evidence from Dr Arun Kumar’s remarks challenging the authority of Legislature by saying the Governor heads the state legislature and that they (Raj Bhawan) have to see if the legislature has the power to issue recommendations to the Governor and shrine board.
Sources said that the PDP legislators have also taken strong exception of Dr Arun Kumar’s statement describing the transfer of forest land to SASB as permanent.
“Dr Arun Kumar who challenged the authority of State Legislature is a public servant and is holding a position that has been created by an Act of the legislature. His remarks tend to undermine the authority of the legislature and attract punitive jurisdiction of both Houses of legislature,” said PDP legislator Murtaza Khan. (NAK)
J&K: Third Front leaders criticize Sangh Parivar
Srinagar, June 24 (NAK): State Secretary CPI (M) M.Y.Tarigami, Hakim Mohd. Yaseen, President PDF and Gh. Hassan Mir, President JKDP in a joint statement has said that statements given by some leaders an ordinary official Shri Arun Kumar are derogatory incriminating.
The statements are highly provocative and has hurting the sentiments of entire Kashmir society by an ordinary official Arun Kumar and the venomous utterances by Sangh Parivar Chief ; Ashok Khajuria deserve to be condemned unequivocally by every responsible citizen of India. Kashmiris ; particularly Muslims ; have been voluntarily aiding , helping and facilitating Yatra for centuries not out of any compulsion or coercion but as a matter of their deep faith in multiculturalism ; religious tolerance and brotherhood of humankind. Kashmiris have continued carrying physically weak and old pilgrims on their backs to the Cave at the risk of their own lives.
The State Sanghh Parivar has been although uneasy about this uniqueness of unity in diversity. The Parivar is hell bent on destroying this unity and divide people on communal lines; horizontally as well as vertically; for petty electoral politics.
Given their faith Kashmiris have never been and can never be against Yatra. This is not because of Sinhas, Togadias, Khajuria, Kumars, Shiv Saniks or VHP. This is purely because of their faith in strong values they have inherited from the great saints and seers. Kashmiris are against politicization as well as communalization of the Yatra. They are against illegal transfer of huge forest land to the Board in ecologically most fragile zone. The State particularly the valley of Kashmir can not afford vandalization of its resources.
The transfer is unwarranted because Yatra was there even when no Board existed. It was managed jointly by Muslims and Hindus. The secular electoral politics can not in any case afford prejudices propagated by the Sangh Parivar. We ask the Parivar to desist from adding fuel to the fire.
While condemning the statement made by the BJP Chief ; leaders reiterated their demand to immediately sack Arun Kumar , rescind the land transfer order and place before the public actual facts pertaining to entire issue.(NAK)