Srinagar: Amid protests and violence over the killing of Hijbul Mujahideen militant Burhan Wani, local Muslims in Srinagar showed bonhomie with their Hindu brethren when they defied curfew restrictions to help perform the last rites of a Kashmiri Pandit woman in old city on Saturday.
The residents of Sheikh Mohalla in Maharaj Gunj rushed to help Deepak Malhotra and his family to perform the last rites of his mother, who passed away this morning, a police official said.
"The local Muslims carried the body of the woman to the cremation ground," he said.
Malhotra and his family did not migrate when most of the Kashmiri Pandits fled the Valley at the onset of militancy in 1990.
The old city has been under curfew since last Saturday, following killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani in an encounter with security forces.
Normal life remained paralysed across the Valley where 41 people have died and over 3,100 left injured in the violence since last week.
No attack on minorities, Amarnath yatris in Kashmir: Nirmal Singh
On Saturday, Jammu and Kashmir government said there were no attacks on minorities or pilgrims of Amarnath Yatra during the protests against the killing of Hizbul militant Burhan Wani in the Valley and the situation has been brought under control to some extent.
"We have to some extent controlled the situation (in the Valley). Fortunately no attacks on the members of minority community or Yatra have taken place," Deputy Chief Minister Nirmal Singh said after holding a meeting of core group of BJP leaders to review the law-and-order situation in the state.
To a question on the attacks on Jammu-based vehicles particularly petrol tankers in Kashmir, he said some vehicles might have got caught in the stone-pelting incidents in Kashmir.
Singh accused Pakistan of trying to "foment" terrorism saying by exploiting the ongoing unrest which started after the killing of Wani during an encounter with security forces on July 8.
"Threat perception from Pakistan side still remains as it is trying hard to push terrorists from across the border. Pakistan and ISI are trying to foment terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir," Singh said.
During the meeting, Singh said, issues like situation in Jammu and Kashmir, resumption of Amarnath Yatra, measures for the restoration of peace and BJP's role and the feedback of the Centre were discussed.
Asked about the allegation of Opposition parties that the government has failed to handle the situation in Kashmir Valley, he said "Opposition should remember in 2010, protests went far and for a long period and many people were killed.
"Separatists are trying to take advantage of the situation; Pakistan is trying to take advantage of the situation, as terrorists are attacking our security forces and police personnel after taking cover of the mob. Police camps are being targeted. All these are crisis situation and right now the priority is to bring back peace in the Valley," he said.
Stressing that only restoration of peace would ensure that there is no more bloodshed in the Valley, the deputy CM said that most of the civilians were killed on the first day of the protests after the killing of Wani.
Singh also said that thousands of stranded Amarnath yatris were evacuated and the pilgrimage has restarted.
He said the state and central governments and other security agencies are monitoring the situation. They have to maintain the law and order and also ensure that Pakistan and its agencies do not take advantage of the situation.
