MHA admits to 'widespread unrest' in Srinagar on August 9

The MHA reiterated that no bullet was fired against the protesters

Kashmiris attend a protest after the Eid-al-Adha prayers at a mosque during restrictions on Monday | Reuters Kashmiris attend a protest after the Eid-al-Adha prayers at a mosque during restrictions on Monday | Reuters

The Home Ministry said on Tuesday that "miscreants" resorted to unprovoked stone-pelting against security personnel deployed at a 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 a government-imposed restrictions on communications and movement of people, following 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 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.