2 houses of Kashmiri Pandits torched, a first since 2008

Srinagar, Jully 11: The setting of fire to two houses belonging to Pandits at Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir has only added to the woes of security agencies. Two abandoned houses belonging to Pandits had been torched by persons protesting the death of Abdul Burhan Wani, the Hizbul Mujahideen terrorist who was gunned down by security agencies.

Officials in the state say that this could be a one off incident and may have been a result of mob fury.

When Wani had released a video, he had said that the Hizbul Mujahideen had nothing against the Pandits, but in the same breath warned of dire consequences if Sanik colonies and permanent shelter for the non local migrant population came up.

A first since 2008:

The torching of the two houses has been viewed very seriously by the security agencies. Security forces have been told to ensure that this incident does not lead to a chain reaction. When the Valley had seen violent protests in 2008 and 2010 no houses of the Pandits were attacked.

The police say that they have a contingency plan in place. The police have also urged political leaders to exercise restraint while issuing statements.

An independent MLA, Rashid Engineer had said at the funeral of Wani that he had ruled hearts. It is time for the government of India to treat the people of Kashmir as their own he had said.

OneIndia News