Srinagar, Sept 4: A day after army opened fire at protesters in north Kashmir’s Varmul district, officials on Saturday said that army had violated Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) by doing so. 

“Army has no mandate to fire at protesters. It should have informed the police before bringing down the flag,” a senior officer told Greater Kashmir. 

    
“The state government should lodge protest with defence ministry over army’s action as it has got nothing to do with law and order. This is unwarranted action on their part. It is necessary for army to inform concerned police station when they go out for operation,” the official said. “Army violated SOP.”   

Pertinently, six persons were wounded when Army opened fired on protesters in Varmul town last evening. The troopers pulled down a green flag hoisted by some youths.

Army opening fire on unarmed protesters had triggered massive demonstration in the town.
  
The district administration has taken a serious note about army confronting the protesters directly. “This can prove dangerous and can lead to many causalities,” officials said.

“Army can only step in to perform law and order duties if state government seeks its help,” said a senior official in the state administration.
“Army is not for the purpose of riot -control or mob dispersal. It is exclusively meant for anti- insurgency operations, as troopers don’t have shields, bamboo sticks or other riot- control equipments. If protesters pelt stones on troopers, they have no alternative  other than to open fire,” said a senior police official, adding that every precaution was taken to avoid direct confrontation between troopers and protesters during flag marches in July.
When contacted the Senior Superintendent of Police Mansoor Ahmed Untoo said: “Troopers noticed a flag when they were on patrol. When they brought it down, people pelted stones on them. Troopers fired upon them in self defence,” he said.

Army’s Srinagar based spokesman Lt Col J S Brar said that army was “provoked to open fire when protesters pelted stones on them. Maximum restraint was exercised and all the persons were shot in legs,” he said.
He claimed that army had not violated SOP.

Puri condemns

Meanwhile, Balraj Puri, Convenor People’s Union for Civil Liberties, has questioned the role of army to disperse protestors in Varmul.
In a statement here, he said that the army should be deployed to defend the border and handling of civilian protest should be entirely left to the state police and the paramilitary forces.

He urged the Union Defence Minister to hold enquiry to find out why army had opened fire on the protesters. 

Lastupdate on : Sat, 4 Sep 2010 21:30:00 Mecca time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 4 Sep 2010 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sun, 5 Sep 2010 00:00:00 IST