Minor incidents of stone pelting happened in Kawdara

Ignoring the call by hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani for symbolic protests on Saturday, Kashmiris celebrated Eid-ul-Adha with religious fervour across the Valley.

However, one woman was injured in old city here in minor stone pelting. Geelani had called for symbolic protests on the day as it coincides with the anniversary of landing of Indian Army in Kashmir in 1947.

Reports said thousands of Muslims offered Eid prayers across the Valley with no major violence reported from any part except for an incident of stone pelting in old city Eidgah here after the prayers.

The protest broke out outside Eidgah after police and paramilitary CRPF troopers tried to stop the demonstrators which triggered stone pelting.

Police fired a few tear gas canisters to disperse the protesters and maintained the peace in the area soon, they added. Inspector general of police Kashmir Range, S M Sahai said that the day passed peacefully overall. “Minor incidents of stone pelting occurred in Kawdara in which one woman was injured while Sopore also witnessed minor incidents of stone pelting,” he said.

The IGP said the situation was soon brought under control. Every year since militancy broke out in Kashmir in 1989, the day marks a complete shutdown in the valley with separatists observing it as a “black day.”

Fearing participation of separatist leaders in Eid prayers could create trouble, authorities had placed Geelani and moderate Hurriyat leaders Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik under house arrest.

On Eid-ul-Fitr (August 20) mob burnt down a police van outside Eidgah and four policemen were injured in the subsequent stone pleting.