Curfew clamped again after fresh protests in Valley

On day eight of the curfew in the Kashmir valley, the J-K Government on Sunday announced simultaneous relaxation...

On day eight of the curfew in the Kashmir valley, the J-K Government on Sunday announced simultaneous relaxation in curfew across the Valley but had to immediately re-impose curfew at several places after hundreds of people took to the streets raising pro-freedom and anti-India slogans. Four persons were injured when the J-K Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) fired rubber bullets on the protestors in the old city.

In Srinagar, as the announcement of relaxation in curfew was made, hundreds of people took to the streets in downtown city. The people were raising pro-freedom and anti-India slogans and demanded release of the separatist leaders arrested by the J-K Police after their crackdown against the separatists in the Valley. Hundreds of people took to the streets at Rajouri Kadal, Nowhatta, Bohri Kadal, Nawab Bazar and other parts of the old city. At Rajouri Kadal, the police and CRPF tried to stop the peaceful protest march and resorted to baton charge. Then they fired rubber bullets to disperse the protestors resulting in injuries to the four persons.

The people soon turned violent and engaged in pitched battles with the J-K Police and CRPF. Soon after the protests, the J-K Police re-imposed the curfew in the old city.

However, in the Civil Lines city, the relaxation time passed off peacefully and the police extended curfew first for three hours and then by another four hours till 7 p.m.

Curfew had to be imposed again in Sopore, Baramulla and Shopian towns. In Sopore town, as the curfew was relaxed for two hours in the morning, hundreds of people took to streets and raised pro-freedom slogans. The people engaged in clashes with J-K Police and CRPF. The police re-imposed the curfew in the town soon after the relaxation was announced.

The Baramulla town too witnessed re-imposition of curfew after the people took to streets raising pro-freedom slogans. This is for the third consecutive day that the curfew had to be re-imposed in the town as a result of massive protests.

Pro-freedom processions were also taken out at several places across the valley including Shopian and Kupwara. Hundreds of people took to streets raising pro-freedom and anti-India slogans and demanding release of the separatist leaders. At several places, the protestors entered into clashes with police and CRPF. More than a dozen protestors were injured in these clashes.