A unique incident of stone-pelting and clash between security forces and Kashmiri youngsters took place in north Kashmir’s Kupwara district on Tuesday. The stone-pelters were not holding anti-India demonstrations but jostling for recruitment in the Territorial Army during a recruitment rally.
A dozen security personnel and an equal number of agitating youngsters were wounded in the incident as Army fired warning shots when youngsters attempted to break open and torch a gate of the site.The incident took place at Chamkote village in Tangdhar pocket of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district where more than 4,000 youths had gathered to try their luck for entry into the Indian Army.
A spokesman of Srinagar based XV Corps lt. Com Brijesh Pandey said that the situation took an ugly turn when youth were bifurcated in groups for pre-requite physical test. “They spread rumour that criteria have been changed. It created ruckus leading to stone-pelting and burning of gate,” he said.Eyewitnesses said that the recruiters disqualified 1,500 aspirants on various grounds. Those disqualified youngsters who assembled and demolished the fencing and the main gate of the camp besides throwing stones on the officials.
The police and Army had tough time to quell the mob. They resorted to aerial firing to control the situation.Army said there were no bullet injuries. However, two wounded youngsters have been shifted to Bones and Joints Surgery Hospital in Srinagar.legislator and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Monga demanded judicial probe into the incident.