Conflict

Anantnag parts witness shutdown amid clashes

Srinagar: Many areas in Anantnag district are witnessing shutdown on Friday amid clashes between armed forces and local youth including uniform wearing students.

It is for the second consecutive day that the areas are tense after heated exchange of words between some J&K Police cops and traders in Mattan area.

Muhammad Ayaz, a youth in his 20s, told FreePressKashmir, “There was no shutdown call but students who were attending their tuition classes enforced shutdown in Lal Chowk area because of ‘highhandedness’ of the forces yesterday.”

The youth, who refused to divulge his real name, said that the students, many of whom were wearing uniform are angry “over the behaviour of forces witnessed yesterday in the area”.

On Thursday evening, some cops from Sherbagh police post reached Dangerpora area in Mattan “to lift an Alto car”.

“The brand new car belonged to a shopkeeper and had no number plate attached to it, however, the shopkeeper showed documentary proof of the car to the cops.”

Journalists based in the district explained that the area usually witnesses traffic jams but “the road was clear yesterday when the incident happened”.

“There was a heated exchange of word between traders and the police which resulted in protest demonstrations by the shopkeepers who downed their shutters and marched towards Lal Chowk,” a scribe said.

The scribe added that today’s protests have spread to Janglat Mandi, Reshi Bazaar, Lal Chowk, Mehindi Kadal.

“There is chaos as stone pelting and tear gas shelling is going on. People are staying inside their homes,” he added.

“There was no deployment of forces when students reached Lal Chowk early this morning,” a youth said.

“Forces, including those from police and para-military CRPF reached about an hour late resulting in clashes.”

A police official told the FreePressKashmir, “situation has improved as shops have started to open now. Some people had tried to enforce shutdown early Friday morning.”

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