Eid amid beef ban row: 12 hurt in clashes; Valley loses Internet for 2 days

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On Friday, clashes were reported from Srinagar’s Eidgah area, Anatnag, and North Kashmir’s Sopore. At several places, the protesters waved Pakistan flags.

Meanwhile, the J&K government Thursday blocked internet services in the state for two days.

The decision was taken after a high-level meeting held in Srinagar in which officials told the government that there are fears that social media could be “misused” in view of beef ban in the state. As earlier reported, police were apprehensive that to protest against the beef ban, some people could post pictures of slaughtering bovines on the social media. This, they feared, could incite communal tensions.

Following instructions from police, internet service providers snapped 3G, 2G, GPRS and broadband services around 5 am. 

Meanwhile, separatist leaders including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Geelani were put under house arrest on the day of Eid.

At Jammu, on the other hand, no pro-Pakistan or pro-Azadi slogans were heard during the Eid celebrations. Sources said no untoward incident was reported during Eid processions at Kishtwar, Doda and Ramban districts.

This was the first time in over two decades that there were no pro-Azadi slogans during Eid rallies in Jammu.

In 2013, three people were killed and nearly 80 others injured in communal clashes which broke out following such slogans in a Kishtwar rally.