Srinagar: While condemning the Kulgam civilian killings, Jawaharlal Nehru University Students Union (JNUSU) on Monday said that New Delhi “wants to put Kashmir on fire for its electoral gains in rest of the country”.
“The killings of innocent youth during an encounter site in Laroo village of Kulgam are highly tragic. It is extremely condemnable and totally unacceptable. Under this government, killings have become a norm in Kashmir and it is really so painful to see such killings happening everyday in Kashmir,” said a statement issued by JNUSU general secretary, Aijaz Ahmad Rather.
“But unfortunately,” he said, “New Delhi is showing its indifferent attitude.”
Rather said that New Delhi was only interested in military means to what is essentially a political issue.
“It wants to put Kashmir on fire for its electoral gains in the rest of the country. The need is for a political dialogue and an end to the brutalities,” he said, in the statement.
Meanwhile a complete shutdown is being observed in Kashmir in the aftermath of seven civilian killings in Kulgam which took place on Sunday. A powerful explosion after a gunfight in Laroo village of south Kashmir’s Kulgam district in which three militants were killed led to the death of the civilians.
In Srinagar’s Old City, restrictions were clamped to foil any protests against the Kulgam killings. In Nowhatta, Rajouri Kadal, Saraf Kadal, Maharaj Gunj, Gojwara, Khanyar, Safa Kadal and other areas of the Old City, armed forces were keeping a tight vigil to keep protesters at bay, witnesses said. At many places, forces have laid razor wire to restrict movement of people.
The news about the Kulgam killings spread like wild fire on Sunday and public movement in Srinagar city and major towns of Kashmir valley virtually came to a grinding halt as passenger transport vehicles were rarely moving on very few roads in the Srinagar city.
In a statement on Sunday evening, the Joint Resistance Leadership said that Kashmir has been turned into “a slaughterhouse where no one—young, old, children or women—is safe.”
Calling the Kulgam killings as ‘terrible news’, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday asked “how long can the ground realities be ignored and living in denial of bad situation in Kashmir.”
“Terrible news coming out from Kulgam.May the deceased find place in Jannat. Alienating the people in the fight against militancy is a sure fire recipe for losing the fight. How long can we go on ignoring the ground realities & living in denial about how bad things are in Kashmir?” Omar wrote on Twitter.
PDP President and former Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti also expressed shock over the death of seven civilians and injuries to scores others in Kulgam.
Kashmir Economic Alliance chairperson (KEA) Muhammad Yaseen Khan on Sunday strongly condemned the innocent killings in South Kashmir’s Kulgam district which has left seven civilians dead and dozens seriously injured.
Blaming government forces for carrying a ‘planned massacre’ in state, KTMF president termed it sheer cowardice and an inhuman act.
A Sikh Body, Gurmat Taksal while calling Kashmir a dispute, said in a statement that they condemn killing of innocent civilians in Kulgam and called for the bloodshed in Kashmir to end once for all.
