#Jammu & #Kashmir / #Srinagar: Clashes took place today between protesters and security forces at Anantnag in Jammu and Kashmir during the funeral of Zahid Ahmed, a young trucker who was attacked 10 days ago over cow slaughter rumours. There are restrictions across the Kashmir Valley after separatists called for a shutdown.
Here are 10 developments in the story:
In massive protests during Zahid’s funeral at his village in Anantnag, 56 km from Srinagar, villagers threw stones at security forces, who retaliated with tear gas. Security personnel have been instructed not to open fire on protesters.
Zahid Ahmed was attacked on October 9 and his truck set on fire by eight people in Jammu’s Udhampur after rumours that three cows had been killed. He died in Delhi yesterday.
Officials say tests revealed that the cows had died of food poisoning and rumours of slaughter were circulated to provoke communal tension in the Hindu-majority area.
There were clashes on Sunday too, hours after news of Zahid’s death. Angry protesters in Anantnag threw stones at the police, who used batons and teargas to push them back.
Exams in the Kashmir University and schools today have been postponed and traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu highway has been stopped.
The government on Sunday appealed for peace, with Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed saying: “I have no words to condemn the dastardly act which consumed the life of a poor and innocent young boy for no fault of his”.
In the state assembly, the opposition National Conference of former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has blamed the BJP, which rules Jammu and Kashmir in alliance with the People’s Democratic Party (#PDP). Mr #Abdullah said it was a “needless death” in the name of beef ban for which the “#BJP and its allies” were responsible.
Seven men, all locals, have been arrested for the attack on Zahid. The main accused, however, is yet to be caught. Many of the arrested men have a criminal record.
#Jammu and #Kashmir has seen massive protests after the High Court in September ordered the police to enforce a decades-old beef ban that had never really been followed strictly. On Friday, the court set aside its earlier order, commenting that there were many laws that were “dead and fossilized.”
Independent lawmaker Engineer Rashid has compared the attack on Zahid to the mob killing on September 28 of a Muslim man in Uttar Pradesh’s Dadri over rumours that he had beef in his house. Earlier this month, Engineer Rashid was thrashed by a group of his BJP colleagues for hosting a beef party.
Bureau Report
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