Miscreants pelted stones to cause 'widespread unrest' on Aug 9; forces didn't fire: MHA

Slamming the fake news propaganda to create unrest in the valley, the Home Ministry has clarified that no bullet was fired by the security personnel deployed in Srinagar despite some miscreants pelted stones on August 9.

New Delhi:The Home Ministry said on Tuesday that "miscreants" resorted to unprovoked stone-pelting against security personnel deployed in Srinagar outskirts on August 9 to cause "widespread unrest", but no bullet was fired against the protesters.

The incident took place at Soura in Srinagar amidst government-imposed restrictions on communications and movement of people, following the abrogation of special status given to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution.

"Stories in media on a said incident in Soura region of #Srinagar. On 09/08, miscreants mingled with people returning home after prayers at a local mosque. They resorted to unprovoked stone-pelting against law enforcement forces to cause widespread unrest (sic)," a home ministry spokesperson said in one of a series of tweets.

The law-enforcement authorities showed restraint and tried to maintain law and order, she said.

"It is reiterated that no bullets have been fired in #JammuAndKashmir since the development related to #Article370," the spokesperson said.

On August 10, the ministry had said that there had been a few stray protests in the Kashmir Valley in the past few days against the scrapping of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, and none of these involved a crowd of more than 20 people.

The security clampdown has been imposed since August 5 when the Union government stripped Jammu and Kashmir of its special status and bifurcated it into Union territories of Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

Meanwhile, a top government official on Tuesday said the curbs on people's movement and communications are being eased out in a phased manner.

The official also asserted that the restrictions will only be removed after an assessment by local authorities.