Use non-lethal means of force against civilian protestors: Raina

A Sikh organisation today urged the security agencies to use non-lethal means of force while dealing with civilian protestors.

"Despite claims of the security forces agencies that they follow the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) while dealing with protesters, innocents continue to die in anti-militancy operations across Kashmir valley," All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC) chairman Jagmohan Singh Raina said in a statement here.

Referring to the encounters in south Kashmir yesterday, he said there were deaths of civilians protestors in Shopian.

"Despite repeated promises, the security forces agencies continue to injure civilians with bullets and pellets. All this has to stop once for all since the killing of an unarmed person is against the humanity," Raina said.

Raina demanded that bullets and pellets should be replaced by non-lethal means of force.