NC, Cong, CPI(M) condemn killing of youth in Anantnag

Opposition National Conference and state units of Congress and CPI(M) today condemned the killing of a youth in security forces' firing in Anantnag district and blamed the PDP-led government and the Centre of "mishandling" the situation in Kashmir.
"There seems to be no end to the current unrest due to the mishandling of the situation by the state and Centre government," Congress chief G A Mir said in a statement here.
"Chief Minister (Mehbooba Mufti) being head of the Unified Command must clarify her position on the unabated killings, use of bullets and lethal weapons on the people agitating against the civilian killings," he said.

Expressing distress over the growing incidents of killings and injuries, Mir said the current unrest was an outcome of the "utter failure" of the PDP-BJP coalition government to contain the situation in the Valley.
Questioning the silence of the Chief Minister over the unabated killings, Congress said the protests could be controlled by other means and it was neither "necessary to use bullets to control the protests nor shall it help to restore peace".
The Congress said the unabated killings and injuries to thousands of people were not allowing the situation to normalise as anger among the people is at peak.

Mir termed as "unfortunate and unacceptable" roughing up of people allegedly by security forces at various places including Seer Hamdan in Anantnag and Rangreth in Srinagar.

"When such type of actions by forces are not stopped, how can you expect that peace will prevail or people would contribute to restore peace," he questioned, adding that "there is a need to create a peaceful atmosphere and forces should be directed to exercise restraint".
National Conference also expressed outrage over the continued "excesses by forces" and the "criminal silence" maintained by Mehbooba-led government over the "atrocities".
National Conference Provincial President Nasir Aslam Wani said such killings had become a norm.

"People are being forced to come on roads. In Seer, something similar happened," he said.
Demanding an end to the night raids by security forces, he said, "such raids meant to terrorise people resulted in killing of many youth including the killing that took place today."
"It was time for the government to put its act together. Mehbooba must ensure that night raids stop. Those responsible for allowing and carrying out these brutalities and murders must be held accountable," Wani said.
The National Conference also demanded a judicial inquiry into the killing.
Condemning the killing, CPI(M) state secretary Ghulam Nabi Malik asked the government how long the civilian killings will continue in Kashmir.

The CPI(M) also demanded an enquiry into the killing so that the responsible persons are identified and booked under law.