Protests swell after youth killed in Sopore

Blame game and protests have marked the killing of a young boy from Sopore, Arif Ahmad, who was shot dead by unidentified gunmen on Wednesday evening. Arif was the son of Mohammed Maqbool Sufi, a well-known seperatist face from Sopore who has spent over seven years in jail. 

Sufi has told media that the government forces were responsible for killing his son. He alleged that his son was killed to deter him from being a part of the “movement” in Kashmir. Sopore witnessed protests during the funeral of Arif Ahmad Sufi and people were seen raising pro-freedom and anti-government slogans. 

A controversy erupted after BJP state president Sat Sharma and state general secretary organisation Ashok Koul claimed that Arif was a BJP worker. In an official statement, the BJP said that the militants cannot stop the youth of the valley for choosing a better future. However, Maqbool Sufi told media that the BJP’s claim of his son being affiliated to the national party was baseless. The police on Friday said that initial investigations in the case have led them to the conclusion that Lashkar terrorists were behind the killing of Arif.