Srinagar: A mob tried to storm an army camp on Sunday in Bandipora district, shattering the day-long fragile peace in curfew-bound Kashmir even as the Centre rushed about 2,000 additional CRPF personnel to shore up security in the Valley where violence since July 9 has claimed 39 lives.
Protesters attacked the army camp at Ajas in Bandipora district, forcing the security forces to open fire. Three persons were injured in the incident, police said.
Curfew remained in force for the third consecutive day while normal life remained paralysed in the wake of deadly clashes that have rocked the Valley following the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani nine days ago leaving 41 dead and over 3,160 injured.
Two persons were also injured in security forces action when a mob pelted stones in Eidgah area of the city. The fresh violence came even as the situation in curfew-bound Kashmir was by and large peaceful during the day. After restricting mobile telephone services, authorities have now snapped the landline connections to curb the violent protests.
“All 10 districts of Kashmir Valley continue to remain under curfew today as a precautionary measure for maintaining law and order,” a police official said. He said the decision to continue the curfew was taken to maintain law and order as one person was killed in fresh violence in Kupwara district on Saturday.
Journalist body protests media ‘clampdown’ in J&K
Calling it an “attack” on the freedom of the press, Indian Journalists Union (IJU) has protested the alleged “clampdown” on the media in Kashmir Valley and demanded that it be allowed to function unhindered.
In a statement issued here on Sunday, IJU president S.N. Sinha, its Secretary-General Amar Devulapalli, International Federation of Journalists Vice-President Sabina Inderjit and Press Council of India members K. Amarnath and Prabhat Dash, said that prohibiting publication of newspapers and confiscation of printed copies was “illegal” and “unconstitutional”, as the Supreme Court had ruled that prevention of printing and distribution of newspapers “amounted to pre-censorship”.
Local newspapers failed to hit the stands for the second consecutive day on Sunday in curfew-bound Kashmir. No dailies — English, Urdu and Kashmiri — were available as the newspaper - owners decided not to publish them after authorities yesterday allegedly raided some media houses and seized their printed copies.
“The J&K Police action in name of volatile situation in the Valley is an attack on the freedom of the media and unacceptable in a democracy..., The IJU demands that the police should desist from such illegal and unconstitutional actions immediately,” the IJU statement said.
