Kashmir Tense After Death of Man Attacked Over Beef Rumours: 10 Developments

mangaloretoday.com

Srinagar 19 Oct, 2015 :  There is heavy security in parts of the Kashmir Valley today after clashes on Sunday over the death of Zahid Ahmed, a young trucker who was attacked 10 days ago over cow slaughter rumours.

Separatists have called for a shutdown to protest against the death of Zahid Ahmed, believed to be in his early twenties, amid special police arrangements for his funeral at his village in Anantnag, 56 km from Srinagar.

Zahid Ahmed was attacked on October 9 and his truck set on fire by a group in Jammu’s Udhampur after rumours that three cows had been killed. He died in Delhi yesterday.

Officials say tests revealed that the cows had died of food poisoning and rumours of slaughter were circulated to provoke communal tension in the Hindu-majority area.

Hours after news of Zahid’s death on Sunday, clashes broke out with angry protesters throwing stones at the police in Anantnag. The police used batons and teargas to push the protesters back.

Exams in the Kashmir University and schools today have been postponed and traffic on the Srinagar-Jammu highway has been suspended.

The government on Sunday appealed for peace, with Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed saying: "I have no words to condemn the dastardly act which consumed the life of a poor and innocent young boy for no fault of his".

In the state assembly, the opposition National Conference of former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has blamed the BJP, which rules Jammu and Kashmir in alliance with the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). Mr Abdullah said it was a "needless death" in the name of beef ban for which the "BJP and its allies" were responsible.

Officials say seven men were arrested for the attack on Zahid. The main accused, however, is yet to be caught.

Jammu and Kashmir has seen massive protests after the high court in September ordered the police to enforce a decades-old beef ban that had never really been followed strictly. On Friday, the court set aside its earlier order, commenting that there were many laws that were "dead and fossilized."

Independent lawmaker Engineer Rashid has compared the attack on Zahid to the mob killing on September 28 of a Muslim man in Uttar Pradesh’s Dadri over rumours that he had beef in his house. Earlier this month, Engineer Rashid was thrashed by a group of his BJP colleagues for hosting a beef party, which left the ruling PDP red-faced.

 

 

Courtesy:NDTV