Braid chopping incidents continue, so do protests
Srinagar: As there is no let up in the braid chopping incidents, three more incidents were reported across Kashmir on Tuesday. One incident was reported in the capital city of Srinagar, while two more incidents were reported in north Kashmir.
In Kupwara district of north Kashmir, a police official and three others were injured in clashes triggered after a woman’s braid was chopped off. According to the reports soon after the woman’s braid was chopped off, scores of people took to streets and staged massive protests in Reddi Chowkibal and Kralpora areas of Kupwara.
According to the reports, the locals also thrashed a Territorial Army man, suspecting him to be the braid-chopper. A video, which is currently doing rounds on internet, shows locals thrashing the Territorial Army soldier while army and police were trying to rescue him.
Later, the protesters pelted the forces with stones who retaliated by lobbing teargas shells. An SHO and two policemen were injured along with a youth who has been hospitalized.
Consequently, as the news of braid chopping incident spread to nearby Kralpora area, the locals staged massive protest demonstration and downed their shutters as a mark of protest.
Clashes also erupted in Kralpora as the protesters started pelting stones on the government forces.
When contacted, SSP Kupwara rejected peoples claim that the Territorial Army man arrested was a braid chopper.
“People catch anybody doing his duty. What is the solution?” SSP Kupwara Shamsheer Hussain told a local news gathering agency.
Asked that people claim that he was a braid chopper, the officer said: “There is nothing of that sought.”
Meanwhile, in the capital city, a woman’s braid was chopped off by unknown persons in Rambagh area of Srinagar which was followed by the protests in the area.
According to the reports, soon after the incident, the youth took to streets and blocked the road, hampering the movement of traffic.
Consequently, Police swung into action and lobbed several teargas shells to chase away the protesters, triggering clashes.
Towards afternoon on Tuesday, protests erupted in Botshah Mohalla area of Lalbazar in Srinagar city after a second braid chopping attempt was made on a woman.
According to the reports, the residents of the area took to streets and blocked the road on Hazratbal-Lalbazar route against the alleged attempt of braid chopping.
The lady has been identified as Subayya. Earlier, a few days ago, a part of her braid was cut after she was cleaning the Veranda of her house.
Meanwhile, in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, fresh braid chopping incident created panic when unknown persons entered the house of Manzoor Ahmad Lone in Pehliharn village of Narvaw area and cut the braid of his wife late last evening.
According to sources, the incident took place around 8 pm on Monday when the woman went to washroom outside her house.
The victim was identified as Shaheena wife of Manzoor Ahmad Lone. After the incident, the family registered a case in a nearby police station today.
KV Correspondent
