A group of people claiming to be the transporters from frontier district Kupwara Thursday staged a protest against separatist sponsored strike calls outside Press Enclave Srinagar.The protesters said that they have become the worst victims of continuous shutdown and they are unable to earn a living. Bashir Ahmed who claimed to be the president Sumo Union Kupwara told news agency CNS that continuous shutdown calls from Syed Ali Geelani has been starving people in Valley. Another protester Ghulam Hasan said that they are against the strike calendar of Geelani and they don’t want to suffer anymore.Raja Adil said that people have been suffering and separatists continue to issue protest and strike calendars. Ironically, the government cameramen were seen capturing the protest on their tapes while one of the protesters said that they arrived here in a Becon vehicle.
While one of the protesters was busy in talking to reporters, some youths suddenly emerged on the scene and thrashed a protester. The agitated youth claimed that it was a government sponsored protest and the protesters have been paid for what they termed as a ‘staged drama’. Witnesses said that after beating the protester, they fled from the spot. Reports said that police arrested a contractor for allegedly assaulting the protester. The Contractor though pleading innocence was bundled into the police vehicle and lodged in police station Kothibagh. He was identified as Mushtaq Ahmed Maliq of Lasjan Bypass. (CNS)