SRINAGAR, Sept 21: Police in Kashmir have lobbed teargas shells to quell a protest demonstration by Dukhtaran-e-Millat (daughters of faith) led by its chief Asiya Andrabi.
Witnesses say Andrabi alongwith more than a dozen of her supporters has been detained. They say police used pepper guns to disperse the women, some of who were carrying their their children along.
However police was not available for the comment.
Similar small protests and stone pelting incidents were reported from different parts of the valley.
Authorities are cautious about huge demonstrations after Friday prayers, when people pray in congregations at mosques and shrines in the region. Most of the times these marches turn into anti-India protests, and authorities fear any escalation could destabilise fragile peace in the region, where a 23-year-old armed conflict is waning.
Meanwhile, authorities have placed most of the senior separatist leaders under house detention. Chairman of the pro-Independence JKLF, Yasin Malik was detained outside his home in Maisuma locality in the civil lines area after he took out a march in protests against the blasphemous video.
