16 HURT IN CLASHES IN J&K AS TROOPS 'DESECRATE' QUR'AN

At least 16 persons were injured when security forces lobbed tear gas shells at a crowd of 15,000 protesting alleged desecration of the holy Qur’an at Handwara in the frontier district of Kupwara on August 24. Villagers of Rangward-Handwara took to streets this morning to register their protest against desecration of the Holy Book allegedly by security forces who entered a mosque. Security forces tried to persuade agitators to disperse but they refused and pelted them with stones. In return, they were teargassed and in the clashes that followed, 16 persons received injuries.

However, an official spokesman dismissed as false reports of desecration of the Qur’an. “Reports of desecration of the holy book at the hands of security forces are based on rumours. There is no truth in the reports,” he said. The crowd of agitators dispersed after being teargassed and the agitation is now under control, the spokesman said.