Kashmir on Monday remained on the edge as fresh orders issued by Jammu and Kashmir administration officials stoked speculation about the possibility of the BJP-led government at the Centre taking a major decision with regard to the special status of the state.
As uncertainty loomed in the Valley, mainstream politicalparties also started making efforts to seek clarity from the Centre on theissue with National Conference president Farooq Abdullah requesting anappointment with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The administration has issued an order directing five zonalsuperintendents of police to provide a list of mosques in the city and itsmanagement committees, while another, which has made its way to social media,has asked police officers to collect information about passenger capacity oftaxis and fuel capacity of petrol pumps.
Earlier, the Centre decided to send an additional 100companies of central armed paramilitary forces (CAPFs) to the Valley.
The NC chief’s request came soon after PDP presidentMehbooba Mufti requested him to convene an all party meeting for building aconsensus. Abdullah is likely to convene the meeting here later this week.
“We are hopeful of having an all party meeting inSrinagar this Thursday to discuss the current situation and also evolve aconsensus on the way ahead,” he told PTI.
The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said he hassought an appointment with Prime Minister Modi in this regard but he is yet tohear from his office.
“We have requested the Prime Minister for a meeting andI am hopeful to hear from his office very soon in view of the sensitivesituation in Jammu and Kashmir,” Farooq said.
The situation in theValley is tense as the fresh order directing the zonal SPs to provide the listof mosques here and its management committees has added to speculation aboutsome major decision in the offing regarding Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.
“Please provide details of mosques and their managementsfalling without your respective jurisdictions as per enclosed proforma to thisoffice immediately for onward submission to higher authorities,” accordingan order issued by the Srinagar senior superintendent of police to the zonalSPs on Sunday night.
Besides this, the officers have been asked to provideinformation about the ideological affiliation of the mosque committee.
Another order, which has found its way to social media, asksthe police officers here to collect information about the passenger capacity oftaxis and fuel capacity of petrol pumps in their respective areas ofjurisdictions.
These orders, which were supposed to be confidential, havefound their way to social media but some officers on the ground said they wereyet to receive them.
These speculations have dominated the discourse in Kashmirover the past few days after the Centre decided to rush an additional 100companies of CAPFs to the Valley.
Mainstream political parties have vowed to resist any suchmove to tinker with the special status.
Construction of new security pickets in the city are alsoseen in the back drop of the new deployment of CAPFs in Kashmir. Severalbunkers have come up in the old city here and areas frequented by tourists,including the Boulevard road along the Dal Lake. On Saturday, a letter by aRailway Protection Force (RPF) official in Budgam asking employees to stockration for at least four months and take other steps due to “forecast ofdeteriorating situation” in the Kashmir Valley “for a long period”created a flutter.
“As per inputs received from different securityagencies and SSP/GRP/SINA (senior superintendent of police, Government RailwayPolice, Srinagar) regarding forecast of deteriorating situation in Kashmirvalley and issue of law and order for a long period, a precautionary securitymeeting was held on July 27,” the letter by Sudesh Nugyal, assistantsecurity commissioner, RPF, Budgam, read.
The official asked the employees to take variousprecautionary measures like storing drinking water for seven days and fillvehicles fully to deal with the issue of law and order for a long period asthere is a “forecast of deteriorating situation” in the valley.The railways, however, clarified that thecommunication had no basis and the official had no authority to issue it.