The killing of four protesters within two days has put the state government led by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti under intense pressure as criticism mounts from opposition parties and separatists.
The four persons — an aged woman and three youths — were killed in two incidents in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district, that pushed the state on the edge of a new unease and uncertainty.
While there had been a debate on the circumstances which triggered the protests in Handwara on Tuesday afternoon, the killing of protesters that followed the incident sparked a new wave of anger in the region.
Kashmir remained shut on Wednesday to protest the killings. Separatist groups called for another shutdown — the third this week — on Thursday against today’s killing in Kupwara district.
The killing of protesters put the spotlight on the state government headed by Mehbooba, who had been a vocal critic of human rights violations when she was in the opposition, and put her government to test.
The main opposition party — the National Conference — upped the ante against her. Mehbooba termed the killings as “unfortunate” and promised compensation to the families of the deceased.
Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who is working president of the National Conference, questioned Mehbooba’s stay in New Delhi and described it as her “self-promotional tour”.
“Three people died as a result of firing by security forces and what does the J&K CM do? She continues her self-promoting tour of Delhi,” Omar wrote on Twitter.
“This is the same person who until a year ago would rush anywhere in the Valley to shed contrived tears at the slightest provocation,” he wrote.
Junaid Mattu, spokesman for the National Conference, shared her file photograph, in which she is leading a protest and holding a placard which reads: Stop killing.
“Let Mehbooba do the same today. Why not? We will stand shoulder by shoulder with her and support her in moving a resolution in the Assembly seeking immediate revocation of AFSPA, something the PDP refused to do while in the opposition,” Mattu said.
Mehbooba faces gruelling test as rivals, separatists up ante
