Srinagar
A complete shutdown was being observed in Kashmir following the separatist call against the challenge in the Supreme Court on the validity of Article 35-A, which bars people from outside Jammu and Kashmir from acquiring any immovable property in the state.
Reports said that all the shops and business establishments were closed across the Valley while as thin movement of private vehicles was seen on roads. The situation across the valley is peaceful with no untoward incident reported from anywhere so far.
Reports also said that government forces have been deployed in strength at vulnerable places in the city and elsewhere in Kashmir for maintaining law and order. Various organisations including Kashmir chamber of commerce and industries KCCI have extended support to the shutdown call of the JRL.
JRL comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Mohammad Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik said that “people of Jammu and Kashmir will forcefully resist every challenge by New Delhi to change the demography of the State by rolling back hereditary state subject laws of 1927, being contested in the Supreme Court through their agents.”
In a statement, the spokesman said that the late announcement and ambiguity over the dates of hearing of 35A and 370 by Supreme Court on 13 or 14 of February is worrisome, and indicates of mischief. Leadership warned the authorities that if anything adverse to the interests of the people of J&K and its disputed status is announced through the courts a mass people’s agitation will be started instantly across the state and the responsibility of the consequences of that will be entirely on those forcing us to react, the statement said.
