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Clashes, strike as Srinagar LS seat goes to polls

MAJID NABI. Dated: 4/19/2019 10:45:33 AM

SRINAGAR, Apr 18: Intense clashes that left several people among scores of police personal and civilians injured marked Srinagar-Budgam parliamentary elections amid complete shutdown and restrictions today.
At least ten policeman and five civilians including a women have reportedly been injured during clashes in Budgam and Ganderbal districts even as the security was beefed up across poll bound areas of central Kashmir parliamentary seat.
Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) comprising of Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik has asked people to observe complete boycott in poll bound areas.
Besides heightened security arrangements, authorities snapped high speed mobile internet service to ensure hassle free elections across the Lok-Sabha constituency that went to polls today.
All the shops, business establishments, banks, courts, government and semi-government offices remained closed while traffic too was off the roads, however skeletal movement of private vehicles could be seen on deserted roads.
Authorities had deployed additional companies of police and paramilitary CRPF in old city with all the entry and exit points sealed with iron barricades and razor wires to prevent public movement.
Baramulla-Banihal rail service was also suspended as a precautionary measure in view of JRL shutdown call.
Boulevard Road which houses Sheri-Kashmir International Convention Centre (SKICC) was blocked for the public movement for whole day to ensure hassle free movement of polling staff to SKICC.
Nonetheless, most of the areas in old city erupted in protests as soon as the elections concluded this evening with youth took to the streets and pelted deployed police and paramilitary CRPF with stones.
Reports said clashes between the government forces and youth broke out at many places in Srinagar including Habbakadal, Chotta Bazar, Chattabal, Nawab Bazar, Nawakadal, Nowhatta, Safa Kadal, Rajouri Kadal areas with police retorted back with tear smoke shells and pellets.
Similar reports were received from central Budgam where youth clashed with deployed forces outside a polling station this morning resulting injuries to at least five persons including a women and a policemen.
Reports said intense clashes broke out between security forces and youth outside a polling station at Hafroo Chadoora in Budgam. A lady suffered pellet injuries in her eyes and was later referred to SMHS hospital for treatment after police fired pellets and tear smoke shells to disperse the agitating youth.
Reports reaching from Central Ganderbal said that two DySP rank officers were among ten police personal injured clashes at Pandach, Gangerhama, Kurhama and Syed Kadal amid complete shutdown.
Reports quoting witnesses said intense clashes broke out at several places in Ganderbal as soon as the polling concluded in the district this evening.