By Reyaz Ahmed, News Agency of Kashmir
Baramulla: At least thirty cops among fifty people were injured in violent clashes between police and protestors at Watergam Rafiabad and Khanpora in Baramulla in which two civilians and five cops have been referred to Srinagar with critical injuries.
Violent clashes broke out in Watergam Rafaiabad area when thousand of people from different villages of Rafiabad staged massive protest demonstrations at Watergam Chowk against controversial transfer of forest land to Shri Amarnathji Shrine Board (SASB) and were demanding that government must revoke the land transfer order immediately.
When the agitating mob pelted stones on police contingent deployed in the area to quell the protest, police resorted to cane charge and tear gas shelling to disperse the uncontrolled protesting mob ensuing violent clashes between the police and the protestors.
Eyewitness said that about 35 people including 20 cops got injured in the violent clashes that erupted at Watergam when police went berserk on protesting people who pelted stones on the police party.
An eyewitness Ghulam Mohmmed said , “Chanting anti SASB and anti- government slogans, thousands people from Dangiwacha, Chatloosa, Bharamapora and other adjoining villages gathered at Watergam Chowk and staged strong protests against land transfer controversy.’
“We were protesting peacefully against land transfer to SASB but police party used force to disperse us and protesters retaliated with pelted stones in which number of people including police got injured,” said Irshad Ahmed Bhat of Dangiwacha.
However, Station House Officer Dangiwacha Reyaz Ahmed said that protesting people pelted stones on police party deployed in the area to maintain law and order which resulted in clashes between police and protestors in which at least 20 police personnel and 15 protestors were injured.
He added that five cops have been referred to Srinagar in which one has received critical injuries. “One protestor Mohmmed Yaseen Malla who got injured when was throwing a tear shell back to police party which went off in his hand and he got seriously injured,” said SHO.
Meanwhile more than a dozen people were injured including some cops in similar clashes between police and protestors at Khanpora Baramulla.
According to eyewitness, hundreds of people of Khanpora Baramulla took to the roads this morning and staged protest demonstration against land transfer issue.
The protestors while marching towards main chowk of Baramulla were stopped by a police party near Police Station, the protesters pelted stones on police party resulting into clashes between the police and protestors in which dozens also got injured.
The battles continued through out the day in area while as stone pelting continued in old town Baramulla also.
For the first time, protests were held in Kandi areas Dangerpora and Laridoora areas of Barmaulla wherein hundreds of people staged protest demonstrations.
Life in the entire north Kashmir was thrown completely out of gear as the entire district observed complete shut down for fourth consecutive day here.
Shops, business establishments remain closed while public transport remained off the road in the entire district.