The roaring sound of choppers and aircrafts hovering over Srinagar sky on Friday night triggered panic among people amid uneasy calm in the Valley, following the car-bomb attack on a CRPF convoy in Lethpora area last week that killed 40 troopers.
Many people took to facebook and twitter to try and get some kind of information about the situation that kept people awake.
Imad, a resident of Peerbagh said the roaring sound of aircraft scared him. “I called a friend from police who lives close by to inquire about the situation but found him unaware about the sudden development that had led to anxiety among most of the people.
There were all kinds of speculation made on the social media including whatsapp groups till an order by union home ministry revealing about deployment of additional 100 companies to the state went viral on social media.
The decision coincided with overnight crackdown by J&K police on Jama’at–e-Islami. Dozens of Jama’at leaders including its chief were detained during the nocturnal raids across the Valley. These arrests followed barely a few hours after JKLF chief Yasin Malik was taken into custody by police from his Maisuma residence here.
“I was up for the whole night as all kinds of rumors about scrapping of Article 35A and arrest of top separatist leaders poured in,” said Rabia, a school teacher from uptown area of Srinagar, adding she and her family were frightened by the sounds of jets hovering over the sky during night hours.
“Ever since the Lethpora attack, news channels have been talking about an imminent confrontation between India and Pakistan. This (sounds of choppers and jets) only added to our worries,” said Aijaz an engineering students who lives on airport road.
What led credence to rumors earlier was a tweet by former chief minister Omar Abdullah about the unfolding situation. ‘Srinagar is agog with rumours and speculations tonight!” he tweeted.