SRINAGAR — Protests erupted in Kashmir on Tuesday after Indian Army soldiers entered a house and allegedly burnt a photo of Iran’s slain Major General Qasem Soleimani.
As part of ongoing Army census in Kashmir, the soldiers of Army’s 2 Rashtriya Rifles on Tuesday entered a residential house of Ghulam Rasool Banka at Malbuchan village in Budgam district.
“They lifted a photo of Soleimani from his house and later burnt it into ashes,” eyewitnesses and officials said.
It angered the locals, triggering a protest and stone pelting in the Shiite dominated areas of Budgam.
Soleimani is a revered figure among the Shiite community across the world.
On January 3, 2020, Soleimani, 62, along with six other officers was killed by the US in a drone attack while he was on way to meet Iraq’s Prime Minister Adil Abdul Mahdi.
“The Army soldiers desecrated our martyr Soleimani during a census. Amy has to apologize otherwise protests will continue,” said a protester.
Deputy Inspector General of Police, Central Kashmir Sujit Kumar told news agency Kashmir Dot Com (KDC) that “There was an issue with a photo of Shiite religious leader. It has been sorted out and the situation is normal now.” — (KDC)