Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Saturday appealed to the people of Jammu and Kashmir to remain calm and maintain peace after violent protests, following killing of terror group Hizbul Mujahideen poster boy Burhan Wani in an encounter, led to death of at least nine persons.
"I appeal to the people of Jammu and Kashmir to remain calm and maintain peace," he said in a statement.Singh said the central government is working with the Jammu and Kashmir government to bring normalcy in Kashmir valley.
"Deeply anguished at the loss of precious lives in the incidents of violence in Jammu and Kashmir. I also pray for the speedy recovery of those injured," he said.
Eleven people were killed and 200, including 96 security forces personnel, were injured as mob violence and clashes rocked Kashmir over the gunning down of Wani even as authorities imposed curfew-like restrictions and suspended mobile internet services to contain the volatile situation.
Wani, 21, was killed, along with two of his accomplices, in an encounter in Kokernag area on Friday.
"If there is no peace and stability, then people who face problems would not BE able to find solution for those," Singh told media persons on the sidelines of an event organised by the Karnataka government at the secretariat in Bengaluru.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti also expressed "profound" grief and agony over the death of youths during protests in the Valley and asked security forces to avoid use of disproportionate force for crowd control besides urging people for calm.
"I express profound grief over the tragic death of the youths and extend my heart-felt condolences to the bereaved family members in their hour of immense grief," she said in a statement.
Mehbooba said disproportionate use of force for crowd control results in loss of precious lives and grave injuries which should be avoided at all costs.
She asked the police and the paramilitary forces to use Standard Operational Procedure while dealing with protesters to avoid loss of precious human lives or injuries.
Urging for calm, Mehbooba sought people's cooperation in restoration of normalcy in the Valley. Violence only brings miseries to the people and tragedies for the victim families, she said and appealed people, especially the youth not to fall prey to the machinations of the vested interests, who play politics over the bodies of Kashmiris.
She also prayed for early recovery of the injured including civilians and the police personnel and asked health authorities to provide best possible treatment to them.
