Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Aug 31 : Life across the Kashmir valley remained paralysed for second consecutive day today due to a protest shutdown called by separatists to voice support for Article 35-A of the Constitution.
Separatists headed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik had called a complete shutdown for today to highlight support for the Article.
Shops, public transport, other businesses and educational institutions remained closed in Srinagar and other places in the Valley.
Attendance in Government offices, banks and post offices was badly affected because of non-availability of public transport in the city and other districts of the Valley.
Post-graduate entrance exams have already been rescheduled because of the shutdown. Rail services between Baramulla and Banihal towns were also suspended for the second consecutive day.
Authorities imposed restrictions in several areas falling under the Police Station areas of Khanyar, Rainawari, Nowhatta, MR Gunj, Safa Kadal, Kralkhud and Maisuma to maintain law and order.
Heavy deployments of police and paramilitary forces have been made in areas placed under restrictions and other law and order sensitive places in the Valley.
Authorities today barred people from offering congregational Friday prayers at the historic Jamia Masjid in downtown Srinagar. All four gates of the Masjid remain locked while all the roads leading to the historic Masjid were sealed by the Police and CRPF by erecting concertina wires.
Article 35-A of the Constitution empowers the Jammu and Kashmir Legislature to define the State’s permanent residents and their special rights.
Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq today commended the resilience and steadfastness of people of the State for standing up against the “assault on our identity”.
“Joint Resistance Leadership commends the people of J&K for their exemplary resilience and steadfastness in firmly standing up against the deliberate assault by anti Kashmir organisations and agencies on our identity and struggle for self determination through demographic change, by challenging the hereditary state subject law in Indian Supreme Court. These designs will always meet their Waterloo by the unity, resilience and courage of the people of J&K,” Mirwaiz tweeted.
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