Srinagar/New Delhi: Ahead of home minister Rajnath Singh’s two-day visit to the Valley, at least, 17 people were injured, three of them critically, when security forces fired live ammunition on protesters in Vihil and Nowgam areas of the Jammu and Kashmir’s southern Shopian district on Tuesday.
The seriously injured were brought to Srinagar Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences for specialised treatment whereas the rest were being treated at a medical facility at Vahil and the district hospital of Shopian.
Reports received here from Shopian said that the Army and members of J&K police’s counterinsurgency Special Operations Group were removing barricades erected by the locals along a road passing through the twin villages.
On seeing them, the residents came out of their homes and began chanting pro-freedom slogans. Police said the security personnel came under heavy stone-pelting as they tried to chase the surging crowds.
Meanwhile, as the Valley continues to see unprecedented turbulence for well over a month now, home minister Rajnath Singh along with his top officials, including home secretary Rajiv Mehrishi, will visit the state on Wednesday, during which he will chair a meeting of the Srinagar-based Unified Command. This is the second visit by him to the Valley in about a month’s time.
During the two-day visit, the home minister will also interact with a cross-section of people from the Valley, though no formal invitation has been extended to the Hurriyat Conference for a meeting.
So far 65 people, including two policemen, have been killed and several hundreds have been injured, mostly due to the use of pellet guns by the security forces.
J&K cops quit, chant aazadi slogans
Apparently succumbing to pressure from locals who are religiously obeying the protest schedule issued by the separatists to prolong the unrest, a Jammu and Kashmir policeman on Monday announced his resignation and chanted pro-aazadi slogans at a rally at Behrampora outside the town of Sopore. Another cop promised to follow the suit soon.
Two Special Police Officers (SPOs) Firdous Ahmed and Waseem Ahmed Shiekh participated in a rally and said they wanted to resign from the police force. While Ahmed who is posted at sub-district police office of Rafiabad, Sopore as driver said that he has already resigned, the Sheikh sent a message saying he too will quit his job.
