Srinagar: Two days curfew begin in Srinagar ahead of the first anniversary of the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status under Article 370.
Srinagar District Magistrate Shahid Iqbal Choudhary on Monday said in an order that the curfew will come into force with immediate effect and shall remain in effect on August 4 and August 5.
The order claimed that violent protests had been planned against the abrogation of the Constitutional provision that provided special status to Jammu and Kashmir.
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Srinagar based senior Journalist, Yusuf Jameel took to social networking site Facebook and wrote; “Mike-fitted police vans announcing imposition of curfew in Srinagar and asking people to stay indoors. The police are also warning residents of “strict action under law” if they defy the restrictions. Nothing new. We were born with “curfew spoon” in our mouth. En mass! Min Hasul Qaum!”
“‘Kalfi order. Macchi chinn’a travaan’. Srinagar and other major Valley towns under curfew/ security restrictions. Surprisingly, 2G bandwidth internet services are working. Ma’shid ma gokh?,” he wrote.
The DM order said that Pakistan-sponsored and separatist groups were planning to observe August 5 as “Black Day”. “There are specific inputs about violent protests endangering public life and property,” the order said.
The order said that people will, however, be allowed to travel for medical emergencies. Medical staff working in facilities to fight the coronavirus disease will be permitted to travel, provided they have a valid pass.
In its order, the J&K administration also said that any gathering of protesters would be detrimental to the efforts related to the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic.
On August 5, 2019, the BJP government revoked Article 370, Article 35(A) amid unprecedented communication blockade, strict curfew and arrests of thousands of people including three former chief ministers.
