Jammu:
Finger-tips of both hands touching, head bowed, an emotional Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was silent for a full 40 seconds today in the middle of a passionate statement on the death of a 24-year-old man allegedly in firing by security forces during a protest in Baramulla, north Kashmir.
The troops reportedly fired after the crowd, gathered to protest against the hanging of Parliament attack accused Afzal Guru, began pelting stones at police vehicles today. The Army has said that the young man was not killed in the firing; it said he was at some distance from the protest when he died. There is curfew in Baramulla and the Chief Minister announced in the Assembly, during his emotional statement today, that an investigation would be initiated.
"Do people in a procession throwing stones deserve to be shot at? Is this the first time people have thrown stones at the forces? Why did they fire?" said Mr Abdullah in the House, also saying, his voice tremulous, "They (opposition) can show their emotion, throw stones and run away. I have the same emotions, maybe more, how do I show them?" Usually very articulate, the Chief Minister struggled to speak each word, even tripping over some of them. (
Read: Omar Abdullah wants AFSPA to be repealed from parts of state)
He had just been subjected to a scathing attack by the main opposition People's Democratic Party or the PDP and other legislators over the young man's death in Baramulla. There were disruptions in the Assembly over the issue through the day; the House has already been stalled several times in the Budget session over the hanging of Afzal Guru in Delhi's Tihar Jail last month.
Mr Abdullah later tweeted, "dont confuse anger & sadness with helplessness. What you saw today was me angry & sad at the tragic loss of life."
There were other protests against the Afzal Guru execution and against the death of a Kashmiri student found hanging in his hostel room in Hyderabad on Saturday.
In downtown Srinagar, protestors clashed with the police after the latter intercepted a demonstration. As a precaution, 3G mobile services were suspended indefinitely in the Valley today. Service providers say they were directed by police authorities to suspend operations this afternoon.
Shops and business establishments are closed for the second consecutive day today in the Valley after some groups called for a march to Pulwama, the native village of the graduate student who was found dead in Hyderabad.