Students fight pitched battle with police at Maulana Azad Road

Clashes between students and police erupted in city’s commercial hub Lal Chowk on Tuesday.
A group of students from SP Higher Secondary School (HSS) staged protests demanding release of arrested students. The trouble began after the students reached MA road and started to pelt stones. However, the police reached the spot and tried to pacify the students. Following police intervention, the situation was brought under control.
However, the situation turned volatile after the students from Government Women College MA Road here took to streets after the College was over. Amid pro-freedom slogans, the students staged protest on MA road and demanded release of the arrested students.
Witnesses said that cops thrashed several protesting girl students of MA Road College triggering clashes. “Police was accompanied by women police but the male cops harassed the girl students and one girl was kicked as well,” the witnesses alleged.
“A girl became unconscious after a policeman kicked her on stomach,” the witnesses said.
The incident according led to heated argument between shopkeepers and police after the former provided water to an unconscious girl student.
“Later, police party forced the shopkeepers to down their shutters,” they said.
During the clashes, police arrested a pedestrian near MA Road. Earlier, the students from schools and colleges of neighboring educational institutes assembled near Exchange Road and resorted to stone pelting. They also hit a bunker outside BSNL telephone exchange with canes.
Later, police chased away the students who managed their entry inside the campus of MA road. The students resorted to stone pelting on police from the campus. The police responded by firing several tear gas shells.
The vehicular movement on MA Road and Residency Road was affected during the clashes.
Principal MA Road College however said a group of students from College staged protests inside the campus. “It was a group of 10-12 students who staged protest inside the college but there was no police action on them,” she said.
Meanwhile, teaching work remained suspended for the second day Tuesday in Handwara Degree College and Higher Secondary Schools in district Kupwara following clashes between students and forces. Clashes also erupted in south Kashmir’s Pulwama after students from Government Boys Higher Secondary School (HSS) Pulwama took to streets and staged protests.