As Kashmir remains tense due to the growing incidents of braid chopping, Indian Army chief Bipin Rawat on Saturday refused to call it a “challenge” and said that the concerned authorities would soon bring an end to the menace.
Asked how the army was dealing with the “challenge” with protests erupting in parts of the Srinagar, Rawat said: “Why are you calling it a challenge? This is not a challenge. Police is looking into it and it will be end soon.”
There have been over 120 reports of braid chopping in the Kashmir Valley in the last two months, with mobs beating up strangers, tourists and even Army men in plainclothes on suspicion of being braid choppers.
Authorities imposed restrictions in parts of Srinagar city on Saturday to maintain law and order in the wake of a separatist-called protest shutdown against growing incidents of braid chopping.
The separatist leaders have appealed to people to hand over suspected braid choppers to mosque committees and not to deal with them directly.
The separatists have blamed the police for its failure to nabbing the culprits.