KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
Thousands of people marched and held a pro-freedom rally in South Kashmir’s Pulwama district on Sunday.
Local sources and Correspondent reports said that people from across Pulwama and adjoining Budgam and Shopian reached Bellow area in Rajpora constituency and held the anti-India rally.
“Rains continued for whole day but people did not stay home and reached the area,” local sources said.
They informed that people Kellar Shopian, Pakherpora Budgam and Pulwama villages like Drubgam, Rajpora, Arihal and Chatpora attended the mass rally in Bellow today which was held in Markaz-i-Jamia Masjid Bellow and tents were erected in its premises.
“There is a CRPF camp in Bellow and forces had tried to stop the rally early today but volunteers, who were managing the preparations for the rally, played heroic role in saving the situation,” local sources claimed, “the volunteers didn’t let youths to confront forces as rally was supposed to be completely peaceful.”
Correspondent reports said that forces reached the area again around 3:30 PM again asking the people to return home and stop the pro-freedom sloganeering and the program. “The rally was about to conclude when forces raided the venue,” report said.
“People showed defiance,” locals said, “first floor of Masjid was locked from inside but forces entered the Jamia Masjid through second floor; tore down the banners.”
The locals alleged that some of the people were thrashed. “The forces damaged private property and many private vehicles,” they said.
“The forces caught hold of at least seven youths but six were released later,” reports said.
(With Shaikh Hilal in Pulwama.)
