Kashmir: Separatists call for shutdown

Eight civilians were killed and several others injured on Sunday in firing by security forces as mobs tried to attack some polling stations in Srinagar parliamentary constituency.

Srinagar, April 10: Authorities on Monday made heavy deployment of police and Central Reserve Police Force to maintain law and order as the separatists called protest shutdown affected life across the Kashmir Valley.

"Etiquette deployments have been made to maintain the law and order situation on Monday," a senior police official said here. Eight protesters were killed when the security forces opened fire during the voting process in the Srinagar-Budgam parliamentary by-poll on Sunday.

Of these, seven were killed in Budgam and one died in Ganderbal district. Mobs attacked the polling stations, damaging the EVMs and ransacking the polling stations, at nearly 100 places in Budgam.

Separatists have called a two-day shutdown and protest against Sunday's civilian killings. Markets, public transports, education institutions and other businesses remained closed here and other places in the valley.

The Kashmir University has postponed all examinations scheduled for Monday and Tuesday. Chief Electoral Officer Shant Manu on Sunday said re-poll would be held at 50 to 100 polling stations where violence had resulted in the disruption of polling process.

Around seven per cent votes were polled during Sunday's by-poll which marked the lowest voter turnout in the last 27 years.

The CEO has said that the next phase of the by-poll would be held on schedule on April 12 in south Kashmir's Anantnag parliamentary constituency.

Meanwhile, to check the spread of rumours by anti-social elements authorities have decided to suspend the internet facility in the entire valley till April 12.

IANS