Protests Erupt in Kargil After Alleged Desecration of Muharram Banners and Symbols

Anger and protests have erupted in the Kargil district of Ladakh after unidentified people allegedly desecrated Muharram banners and other religious symbols and threw them into the Suru river that passes through the city. On 1 Muharram, flags, banners, holy religious flags (Alam-e-Hussain) and other religious symbols were put up on the Hardas Thang bridge. On the night of 17 and 18 June, unknown miscreants desecrated these and were recovered by the locals the next morning. As news of this alleged desecration spread in the city, a large number of residents took to the streets in protest and demanded identification and strict action against the culprits. After this incident, Kargil's Chief Executive Councillor (CEC) Feroz Khan - who represents the civil administration - along with senior officials of the Ladakh Police and the Indian Army, called for a meeting with the local religious representatives to discuss the situation of Alam-e-Hussain's desecration on the Hardas Thang bridge immediately and in the presence of local citizens.