A complete shutdown was observed on the 11th consecutive day today in Pulwama while as minor clashes erupted in the town during last night after police arrested at least fifteen persons.
All the business establishments, shops and offices remained closed while as traffic was completely off the roads.
Reports said that police last night raided many residential houses in Chatapora, Dalipora, Prichoo, Washbug and Dangerpora areas of the town and arrested at least 15 persons for their alleged involvement in stone pelting and demand of erecting a memorial for martyrs, taking the number of arrested to 35.
Earlier, the police had arrested 20 youth from the town in last two days during raids.
“Some of the arrested are the relatives of the youth who are absconding. After not finding them at homes, their relatives were arrested,” police sources said.
Following the arrests, announcements were made on loudspeakers about the police raids, following which most of the youths left their homes with many of them taking shelter in the mosques.
“People staged protests and tried to stop the police from making arrests during the night but they were stopped by forces who lobbed tear smoke shells to disperse them,” locals said.
“The youths who had entered into mosques, stayed there fearing arrest,” witnesses said.
Early this morning, contingents of police, CRPF and SOG, wearing riot gear, were deployed in the town to thwart any expected protestors’ attempt to erect the board.
However, there was no incident of stone pelting or clashes in the town today, reports said.
In the meantime some locals complained that they are suffering badly due to the strike and they are facing shortage of eatables etc.
They said that there should be some relaxation in the strike so that the locals could buy important items from market.
The youths, however, have said that they would forcibly erect the board on Monday.
While talking to us, a top police officer said “We have arrested 30 people for their involvement in stone pelting and provoking youths to erect the board which is illegal. There are some arrested who are not involved but their relatives are involved and we have arrested them so as to reach to the involved.”
In the mean time, police today installed stalls of important eatables for the locals. A few stalls were seen in the town with many eatables and daily needed items on them.
