Srinagar: Complete shutdown is being observed in Shehr e Khas over Friday’s police action that lead to hundreds injured inside Jamia Masjid after they fired pellet gun on people praying and protesting.
Jamia masjid had to be closed for further prayers yesterday as its floor had to be cleaned of blood.
Traders of the Shehr e Khas had called for a complete shutdown against police action.
All the business establishments are closed and traffic is off the road in the Shehr e Khas, while traders are on the roads protesting and demanding strict action against all who ‘desecrated the grand mosque’.
However police later on friday said that forces ‘showed utmost restraint’ and ‘some ammunition’ was used to disperse the ‘miscreants and hence minimal force was used to control the situation’.
The police also said that 700 to 800 people assembled near the main gate of Jamia Masjid and started heavy stone pelting on the security forces.
“During stone pelting dozens of CRPF/police personnel including SDPO Khanyar, SHO Nowhatta got injured. One of the CRPF personnel namely HC JD Gurcharan Singh F/28 suffered grievous head injury,” police said.
Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umer Farooq Friday condemned the deployment and forces action.
“Heavy deployment of Govt forces around JamaMasjid even in this holy month leading to tension& agitation. Dozens of civilians injured after forces resorted to pellet &teargas shelling!large number of people unable to come out of the mosque. Condemn the deployment and forces action,” Mirwaiz tweeted.