Kashmir tense, state blames CRPF for trouble
Srinagar: A 9-year-old boy was among two civilians killed in Kashmir in the CRPF and police action against protestors even as Sopore is reeling under curfew for the third consecutive day. Pressure is mounting on state Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to control the situation.
The state government and the Central forces trade charges as the Centre says their forces have the right to defend themselves in the face of stone-pelting mobs. There is no let up in the street rage in both Srinagar and Sopore. Curfew entered third day in Sopore on Monday as eight civilians have been killed in last fortnight. An embarrassed and worried state governmentis pointing fingers at the CRPF. State Law Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar said, "The CRPF action is unwarranted. The Home minister should visit Kashmir and rein in the black sheep in the forces. We can not fight people who have chosen us."
The activists say restraint is better than bravado while the Opposition says the Omar government is incapable of handling law and order in the state. A Sultan Mandoo, political activist, said, "Call the policemen and officers who are in the barracks. We have 10,000 police officers who are in barracks. Please pull out the CRPF from the streets."
PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti said, "There is no government. The ministers are busy minting money and this is the worst ever government in office."
The Jammu and Kashmir government, rocked by the series of civilian deaths, is not only embarrassed and clueless but is feeling helpless too. They are now looking towards Delhi for answers. Will the Union Home ministry come to the rescue of the country's youngest chief minister?
Meanwhile, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Director General Vikram Srivastava denied that his men opened fire on protesters in Kashmir on Monday, killing two youth.
Srivastava told media persons here that his personnel had not fired a single bullet in any part of the valley on Monday. "Maybe some rubber bullets might have been fired," he said, adding the basic duty of the CRPF is to assist the state police in maintaining law and order in the state.
Srivastava said that the CRPF has ordered an inquiry into the Sopore firing. Countering the charges against his force, he alleged that the protesters had opened firing on the CRPF troopers.
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