Srinagar, November 1, 2019: Several people were thrashed and injured including a lady when Indian police fired tear gas shells to disperse them in Srinagar. Indian forces thrashed some photo journalists as well, who had gone there to cover the situation. at least three photojournalists said that they were beaten up by Indian police personnel when they were covering anti-India demonstrations in downtown Srinagar, yesterday. Several other photo-journalists and video-journalists, including a woman, said that the police personnel chased and verbally abused them. One of the journalists said the police repeatedly asked him why he was taking
Locals of downtown expressed their deep anguish and anger over the decision of authorities for not allowing Khoj-e-Digar in Khaniyar in Srinagar.
One of the journalists said the police repeatedly asked him why he was taking pictures of the demonstrations.
At least three photojournalists on Friday said they were beaten up by police personnel as they covered stone-pelting in downtown Srinagar in Jammu and Kashmir. Several other photo and video journalists, including a woman, alleged that police personnel chased and verbally abused them.
“Around 4 pm, we reached Khanyar to cover clashes in the area,” Muzamil Mattoo, a freelance photographer, said. “There was minor stone-pelting. We were in between personnel of the J&K police and CRPF [Central Reserve Police Force] near Khanyar Chowk when a policeman pointed his pellet gun towards us and fired.”
Mattoo also alleged that the policemen tried to force him into a police vehicle and arrest him. “A policeman beat me up with a stick,” he said. “I got bruises on my arm and leg. He also tried to arrest me. He repeatedly asked me why I took pictures of the protest.”
Idrees Abbas, a photojournalist with the Urdu daily Roshni reached the spot minutes after Mattoo. He said he saw the police beat him up. “I saw two, three policemen surrounding Muzamil and one of them was beating him up,” said Abbas. “One of the policemen was choking Muzamil.”
Abbas said he was also assaulted and chased by policemen when he tried to take pictures of the incident. “A policeman saw me clicking the photos,” he said. “He rushed towards me and hit me with a baton on my back. I crossed the street to save myself but they continued chasing and abusing us.”
Adil Abbas, a freelance photojournalist, also said he was assaulted. Masrat Zahra, also in the group of journalists, said that the policemen hurled dirty abuses at her.
Since morning, Indian paramilitary CRPF and police personnel had been heavily deployed in downtown Srinagar to prevent public gatherings ahead of Friday prayers. Since August 5, 2019 when the India scrapped special status for Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution and split the state into two Union Territories, authorities have not allowed Friday prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid in the area.
The stringent restrictions this Friday also had to do with special afternoon prayers, known as Khwaja Digar and held annually at the shrine of Khwaja Naqashband Sahib in downtown Srinagar. The special prayers are traditionally attended by thousands. On Friday, the police stopped Khwaja Digar for the first time in its recorded history.
“This is religious interference and we strongly condemn this. Our religious sentiments and emotions stand badly hurt as this occasion comes once in a year and yet we were barred from participating in this spiritual event,” They said.
As per the residents of downtown, congregational prayers were not allowed at the historic Jamia Masjid for the 13th Friday in a row as all .
Class work in various schools, colleges and universities continued to remain suspended, while the attendance of the employees in government offices also remained affected.