Srinagar, May 28 -- "Don't install meters here. Our youth are jobless, and there are always power cuts," said a young woman. "We voted Omar Abdullah for serving people not for his own development, We won't let these meters get installed, take both the meters and electricity away".

The protests unfolded just moments after the installation team arrived in Labertal village on Wednesday to install smart Meters.

According to Eyewitnesses "They had barely started unloading the meters when women surrounded them," said a shopkeeper. "They shouted slogans, and warned the officials not to install meters"

"We are not against development or modernization," said a schoolteacher who wished not to be named. "But we won't accept a system that increase...