Srinagar bypoll election killings 2017

Srinagar Poll Killings refers to a series of killing incidents that took place on 9 April, 2017 in the Budgam district and Ganderbal district of Indian administered state of Jammu and Kashmir. The killings took place when armed forces open fired on protestors who opposed the elections (Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency elections) at the first place. The toll of killings reached 8 at the evening and 150 were reported as inured. On April 19, another youth who was injured during protests on April 9, in Barsoo, Ganderbal from Kulgam succumbed to his injuries at SKIMS, Soura. Official sources state that the youth killed were in the 15-25 age group and were killed in 'direct firing' on the protesters. Witnesses and reports affirmed that police and paramilitary forces who were deployed for poll duty in Budgam, Srinagar and Ganderbal districts used firing and intense teargas shelling against youth who hurled rocks at several polling stations. The voter turnout was lowest in the last 30 years with only 7.1% of the people voting. The call for boycott elections by separatist factions of Kashmir can be the one reasons for such statistics.
Background
Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency fell vacant when PDP leader Tariq Hameed Karra resigned during 2016 Kashmir Unrest. So for filling the vacant seat, Srinagar by poll elections were to be held. The separatists called for boycott of the elections and the protestors were seen on streets against the same which turned into stone pelting incidents and targeting polling booths and subsequent bullet returns by the armed forces.
Although separatists had only called for a shutdown in poll-bound areas, it was still observed in most parts of Kashmir, in both the north and south Kashmir. For the polls the Jammu and Kashmir Government blocked internet but the protests still spread.
*Farooq Abdullah:- The former CM of Kashmir expressed grief over the lost of lives and blamed the ruling party for shedding blood of civilians during the bypolls due to the inadequate governance.
*Mehbooba Mufti:- The CM fell distressed and deeply anguished to know the killings of young kashmiris on the occasion of polling in Srinagar parliamentary constituency. The CM urged that only peaceful means can take state of J&K out of present turmoil and political instabilities.
*Chairperson of Dukhtaran-e-Millat, Asiya Andrabi, said 'The world must take notice of how India conducted this sham and farce election while showering bullets on innocent people'. She also said that the low voters turnout of six percent was a clear message to the world that Muslims of Kashmir do not want to be a part of India.

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