- As the police arrived in the area and tried to intervene and disperse the locals from the highway, the protesters refused to budge, triggering the clashes.
- As protesters threw stones, the police resorted to tear gas shelling to disperse the crowd from the highway. Sources said several people and vehicles got damaged.
Several people were injured and many vehicles damaged after clashes erupted between the police and protesters in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district over shortage of water.
On Friday afternoon, protesters from the Chenabal area of Pattan blocked the Srinagar-Baramulla national highway over the shortage of drinking water in their area.
As the police arrived in the area and tried to intervene and disperse the locals from the highway, the protesters refused to budge, triggering the clashes. As protesters threw stones, the police resorted to tear gas shelling to disperse the crowd from the highway.
Police sources said several people and vehicles got damaged after protesters restored to stone pelting. A statement by the BJP in Kashmir said the party’s media in-charge for Kashmir, Sajid Yousuf Shah, and social media in-charge, Sahil Bashir Bhat, “were attacked by an unknown mob” in Mirgund Pattan.
“PSOs (police security officers) were also seriously injured,” the statement added. A resident said for a long time, they had been facing water crisis, but no one from the government was addressing the issue.
“Everyone is aware about the water problem, be it politicians or the administration,” said a resident. “We were left with no option other than to come on road to make our grievances heard by the authorities,” he added. The statement also said the PSOs fired shots into “the air in self-defence.”
“During this incident, both BJP leaders and their PSOs sustained serious head injuries. They were immediately taken to Noora Hospital, where doctors referred them to JVC Srinagar hospital.
Both leaders are currently receiving treatment, while Sajid Yousuf Shah’s PSO has been referred to Sher-i-Kashmir Institute of Medical Sciences(SKIMS) for further treatment, it said.
As the situation turned serious, top senior police and administration officials rushed to the spot to bring the situation under control. Baramulla SSP Amod Ashok Nagpure and DC Minga Sherpa also arrived at the spot and urged them not to resort to stone pelting.
“These issues can be resolved through talks. I assure you that no action will be taken against anyone,” Amod said.
He added that a water scheme was under construction in the area and it was expected to become operational in the coming month. He said water would be provided to locals through tankers for the time being.
Peoples Conference chief Sajad Lone posted on X, “…what is the response of the J&K Police. It is as if they are at an encounter site. Can u please start listening to peopleand render the supreme sacrifice of treating humans as humans…”
