Srinagar: A murder case against an Army Major and his unit for the killingtwo civilians at Jammu and Kashmir’s Shopian on Saturday has escalated intoa major political row between the ruling PDP and its ally BJP, which rulesthe centre.

Hours after the state government filed an FIR or First Information Reportagainst the army men, protests erupted in the assembly.Facing angry BJP lawmakers, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti said hergovernment had taken action against the army only after consulting DefenceMinister Nirmala Sitharaman.

“After the killings I immediately spoke to the defence minister and she wasvery positive. She told me that I should take action if any carelessness oranything wrong has happened. It’s after that we registered an FIR andordered a magisterial inquiry,” Ms Mufti said in the assembly.

The chief minister also stressed that action against the guilty would nothurt the morale of the Army and pledged to take the case to a logical end.

The BJP had argued that the FIR naming the Major should be withdrawn and anew one must be filed without names.

Javaid Ahmad Bhat, 20, and Suhail Javid Lone, 24, were killed on Saturdayevening, when security personnel opened fire to chase away protesters whowere throwing stones at an Army convoy passing through Ganovpora village inShopian.

The Army says it fired in “self-defence” when its convoy came under”unprovoked and intense stone pelting” by a mob.

Defence Ministry spokesman Colonel Rajesh Kalia said the convoy wastargeted by a group of 100-120 people and “within no time, their numberswelled to 200-250”.

A Junior Commissioned Officer accompanying the convoy was hit on the headand fell unconscious, Col Kalia said, adding that the mob tried to “lynch”him and snatch his weapon.

“Considering the extreme gravity of the situation, the army was constrainedto open fire in self-defence,” Col Kalia said.

Amid massive protests and a shutdown call by separatists, mobile Internetservices were suspendedlink>inparts of Kashmir valley yesterday.

Many areas in state capital Srinagar were placed under curfew and shopswere mostly closed. Public transport and trains were also suspended.

The deaths were also condemned by the opposition National Conference.

“Politics apart, this cycle of killings must end. We all have to end thisbloodshed,” former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said inthe state assembly.

“Bullets have been fired at chest height, which means the forces were notcontrolling the situation, but only firing,” he said.