Sopore:
On Monday, thousands were out on the streets of Sopore, protesting against the deaths of civilians by security forces. But Sopore isn't just any ordinary Kashmiri town - it is the stronghold of hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani. So, the protests are louder and often more violent.
Under intense pressure is the country's youngest Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, whose handling of the situation has made him the target of the opposition.
"National Conference (NC) has always put the blame on others. They have never taken responsibility for their actions and it is habitual. Whenever something goes terribly wrong and they are scared, they put blame on Indian agencies and New Delhi," said Mehbooba Mufti, PDP President.
While Omar Abdullah himself has remained silent for the last 24 hours, his party colleagues have accused the Opposition and separatists of instigating the violence.
"It is the separatists and some others who are instigating violence. Despite that we have controlled the situation and we hope our strategy will be successful," said Taj Mohiuddin, Minister, J&K Government.
The Nationalist Congress' ally in the government, the Congress, has defended Omar Abdullah.
Congress spokesperson Manish Tewari on Monday said, "There is no need to be judgemental on any Chief Minister."
Containing the current situation is an enormous challenge for the state government, and the death of a young boy has made the situation even more volatile.