Uproar in J&K over Bipin Rawat's comments

A political storm has hit Jammu and Kashmir after Army chief General Bipin Rawat defended an officer using a local youth as a human shield and called for innovative ways to fight the "dirty war" in the restive state.

From mainstream parties to separatists to human rights activities, people cutting across ideological divides have slammed the Army chief, saying his remarks would only further add to the alienation of Kashmiris.

"This is unfortunately a policy of holding Kashmir and its people by might. This is an approach that involves muscle power and it will add fuel to fire. It is this approach that leads to alienation," said Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, chief spokesman of the main opposition party, National Conference.

Also lashing out at the Army chief, moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said the level of arrogance of power and contempt exhibited through such insensitive statements no longer shocks the people of Kashmir.

"We have come to realise that we are no longer considered human beings by the Indian state and that New Delhi is only interested in a military solution to a political and human issue. Maturity and goodwill demand that everyone accepts the reality of the problem at hand, which is essentially political and human in nature, and resolves it politically. No amount of military might can solve the dispute," Mirwaiz said.

Nahida Nasreen, the general secretary of radical women's separatist group Dukhtaran-e-Millat, said: "As long as the Indian Army continues to occupy Jammu and Kashmir, peace in not possible in the Valley or in the sub-continent."

The political storm apart, tensions continued mount for the second day of the fasting month of Ramzan as a curfew, shutdown and restrictions remained in place to prevent stone-pelting and protest marches in the Valley following the killing of Hizbul Mujhadeen commander Sabzar Ahmad Bhat on Saturday.

The police said that the situation remained peaceful and under control throughout Kashmir Valley, though a stray stone-pelting incident was reported from Tahab village in Pulwama.