Kashmir under
security blanket
Anniversary of Article 370 withdrawal
Security was tightened
across the Kashmir Valley
on Wednesday to foil a scheduled meeting and protest
marches by the National
Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic
Party
(PDP) on the first anniversary of the withdrawal of
J&K’s special status.
NC president and Member of Parliament Farooq
Abdullah had called a meeting of all regional parties on
Wednesday at his residence
on Gupkar Road “to chalk
out the future course of action”. The move apparently
was to carry forward the
Gupkar Declaration signed
on August 4, 2019, by the regional parties, which called
for “a joint front to defend
J&K’s special status”.
However, security was
beefed up on the Gupkar
Road, housing Dr. Abdullah’s residence, and barricades put up. “Police vehicles are opposite our gates,
concertina wire strung
across the road at regular intervals and no vehicles allowed. My father had called
a meeting of leaders of
mainstream parties to deliberate on the current situation,” said NC vicepresident
Omar Abdullah.
He said the scheduled
meeting was not allowed to
go ahead. “The BJP gets to
announce a 15day celebration to mark 5th Aug and a
handful of us aren’t allowed
to meet on my father’s lawn.
So much for BJP national
leaders wondering why
there is no political activity,”
Mr. Abdullah tweeted.
Sources said all those
who were supposed to attend the meeting had been
placed under house arrest.
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