Srinagar: A day after polls concluded in north Kashmir with 39.06 percent polling in Baramulla Lok Sabha constituency, several people who casted their vote, were thrashed and stripped by youth in twin towns of Baramulla district.
Eyewitnesses and reports said that the youth at volatile Old Town Baramulla and Sopore Bus Stand were seen stopping vehicles from remote areas like Uri, Kupwara and other places were asked to show index fingers.
“Those who had blue ink mark on their index finger were thrashed and many others were thrashed,” an eyewitness, insisting not to be named from Azad Gunj Old Town Baramulla, told GNS. Another eyewitness from Sopore said: “The glasses of around 10 vehicles of Kupwara were smashed by youth and people who had casted vote were thrashed in Bus Stand and Iqbal Market.”
The vehicles of Uri – which recorded 65.42 percent polling – pass from Baramulla town while the vehicles from of Kupwara district – which recorded 69.29 percent polling – pass through Sopore. Lowest turnout was recorded from Sopore segment with 1.02 polling percentage.
“Groups of youth thrashed scores of people at Cement Bridge Baramulla, Azad Gunj, Tawheed Gunj who were coming from Rafiabad, Khadniyar and Handwara,” another eyewitness said, adding index fingers of many women were also checked.
The Deputy Inspector General of Police (DIG) North Kashmir, G.H. Bhat told GNS: “A vehicle from Kupwara was stopped in Sopore and that was checked by youth. After checking the vehicle, there was thrashing incident. Police reached the spot and they were chased away.”
He said that another incident was reported from Azad Gunj area of Baramulla but no one was thrashed. “But we controlled the situation and everything is alright now,” he added.
Sopore and Old Town are the bastions of pro-freedom movement and Syed Ali Shah Geelani has huge following at both the places. Both the towns are out of reach for pro-India politicians as both the towns are prone to anti-India protests and clashes. The polling stations for Lok Sabha polls were shifted from Old Town due to security concerns. Both towns adhered to boycott call of pro-freedom leadership and held anti-election protests. (GNS)