Huzaif Riaz
SRINAGAR, (PTK): Tension mounted in Kashmir on Saturday as police came down heavily on separatists and detained over 150 people, mainly from the Jamaat-e-Islami, ahead of Monday’s hearing in the Supreme Court on Article 35A of the Constitution.
The valley is going through a tension as rumours kept roaming on social media about aggregation of 35A.
Additional 100 companys of paramilitary forces were airlifted to valley.
Medical officers were asked to collect medical supplies on Sunday.
Orders issued by some government departments added to the fears of the people. The government medical college in Srinagar cancelled winter vacation of its faculty members and directed them to positively report for work on Monday.
With arrests , deployment of forces and emergency like situation , the situation kept worsening and the rumours kept increasing.
Heightened tension was palpable and people were seen in groups on streets even as security was tightened in the Valley.
While authorities asked people not to fall prey of such rumours, governor termed the rumours false. Police termed the nocturnal raids as a part of election process and said such raids will continue.
The department of food, civil supplies and consumer affairs, which provides ration to people through its outlets, has directed its staff in south Srinagar to ensure completing sale of food grains in their respective areas by Saturday evening.
They were also directed to keep ration depots and sale outlets open on Sunday as well.
Markets in Lal Chowk on Friday, the commercial hub of the valley, and adjoining areas opened more than an hour late as business owners were not sure of the situation in the wake of detention of the separatist.
The sound of frequent flying of fighter jets till 1.30 am on Saturday added to the worries of the residents due to simmering Indo-Pakistan tension following the Pulwama suicide car bomb attack.
It’s believed that hearing of article 35A will be done between February 25 and February 28 , but yet no one is sure will it be heard on Monday .
But the emergency like situation in the valley has made people to think about.
On every evening at 7:00 PM , supreme court issues the list of cases that it will hear on next day .
No one can answer this question at this time , “Will article 35A be heard tomorrow ? ”
Article 35A, which provides special rights and privileges to natives of Jammu and Kashmir and has been challenged by a Kashmiri woman who was denied property rights after she married a man from other state. An organisation called Ikkjut Jammu has challenged the Article claiming that the provision created an Islamic state on the secular territory of India and should, therefore, be declared unconstitutional. (PTK)
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