Candlelight Marches, Protests Across India To Condemn Pulwama Attack

JAMMU/LUCKNOW/PATNA — Massive protests and candlelight marches were held on Friday in different parts of the country against the Pulwama terror attack which claimed the lives of 40 CRPF personnel, while curfew was imposed in Jammu city following violence during demonstrations there.

Raising slogans against Pakistan and terrorists, protesters defied curfew to take out rallies and police had to resort to cane charge at Residency Road, Kachi Chawani and Dogra hall areas in Jammu.

The protesters burnt tyres and placed barricades on several roads. Five vehicles were set afire in Gujjar Nagar area, while there were also reports of stone pelting.

Demonstrations were held in Purani Mundi, Rehari, Shaktinagar, Pacca Danga, Janipur, Gandhinagar, Bakshinagar, Muthi, Talal Tilloo and Satwari in Jammu city where Army conducted flag marches in sensitive areas.

The grief and outrage over the terror attack spilled onto the streets as families of the slain soldiers, hailing from different states, waited for their coffins.

Emotions ran high as protesters converged at India Gate and Jantar Mantar in national capital to express solidarity with the families of the martyrs. Activists of different political parties, social groups and trader outfits joined common people during demonstrations in Lucknow and others state capitals.

In UP, demonstrations were held in Bareilly, Azamgarh, Mau, Meerut, Kanpur, Allahabad, Varanasi and Shahjahanpur, reports reaching here said.

In Gorakhpur, Samajwadi party workers burnt a Pakistani flag and an effigy of Prime Minister Imran Khan and raised slogans against the neighbouring country.

A large number of youths blocked Chapra- Gorakhpur track in Deoria demanding that Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath visit the family of the local youth martyred in the attack and raised slogans against Pakistan.

In Bihar, which lost Sanjay Kumar Sinha and Ratan Kumar Thakur in the attack, hundreds of protesters, including students gathered at the Kargil Chowk in state capital Patna demanding firm action those responsible for the attack.

Protesters burnt tyres on national highway NH 28 A in Motihari, resulting in disruption of vehicular traffic.

Protests were held in Assam by members of Sadou Assam Goria Moriya Yuva Chatra Parishad, a minority students’ organisation, All Bodo Minority Students Union, ABVP, Krishak Shramik Unayan Parishad and Hindu Jagran Manch.

People lit oil lamps across the state in memory of the martyrs.

Protesters burnt effigies of Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammad, which claimed responsibility for the attack, and flags of the neighbouring country.

The terror attack also triggered angry protests at several places in Punjab, which lost four jawans, and Haryana. Schoolchildren also took out marches in some areas.

“How many sacrifices will our soldiers have to make? This needs to stop,” said Jagtar Singh, who was part of one such march in Kurukshetra.

Gujarat Congress organised a candle march at Sabarmati Ashram to pay respects to the slain soldiers. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal also held protests in different parts of the states this evening.

Protests were also held in Maharashtra. People gathered in Begumpura area in Aurangabad and burnt a Pakistani flag.

Forty CRPF personnel were killed on Thursday in one of the deadliest terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir when a Jaish-e-Mohammad suicide bomber rammed a vehicle carrying over 100 kg explosives into their bus.