A complete shutdown is being observed on Thursday in Chenab Valley on call of the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) against the attempts to scrap Article 35-A.
Anjuman Isalamia Bhadarwah, Markazi Seerat Committee Doda, Anjuman Islamia Gandoh, Masjid Committee Thathri and Majlis-e-Shoura Kishtwar have jopintly supported the JRL’s two-day shutdown call.
All the shops, business establishments and several private schools of Muslims remained closed in the entire Chenab Valley. However, government schools and offices functioned normally and traffic was plying on the roads as usual.
President Jamia Masjid Sarafan Imtiaz-ur-Rehman Butt said BJP government and its agencies instead of making honest efforts to bring peace in the valley are busy in raking up the issues which are ‘hurting the sentiments of people of Jammu and Kashmir which is further alienating them from India’
“Any tinkering with Article 35-A can lead to tearing apart our accession with India and BJP knows it well, but they are using judiciary to befool people,” Imtiaz-ur-Rehman added.
“New Delhi’s only agenda is to erode the autonomous structure of the state but abrogation of Article 35-A would lead to an uprising and far greater revolt than any other till date and I wonder whether government would be able to hold that,” said Sheikh Shafi, provincial Secretary NC.
At Kishtwar, all the shops, business establishments, and several educational institutions remained closed following the bandh call given by the Majlis-e-Shoora Kishtwar, an amalgam of local Imams and traders of Kishtwar.
Reports also said that Doda, Gandoh, Kahara and Thathri also observed complete shutdown on the bandh call.
Earlier, government forces were put on high alert as extra columns of police and CRPF were deployed at all the sensitive places and near Jamia Masjids of Bhadarwah, Doda, Thathri, Gandoh and Kishtwar “to maintain law and order in the areas.”