J&K marks a year without 370 amid Covid, other curbs
SRINAGAR/JAMMU: Most residents of Srinagar and rural districts of Kashmir stayed indoors on Wednesday, the first anniversary of the revocation of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status, as security forces clamped restrictions on public movement, blocking many roads with concertina wire, and thwarted a meeting of mainstream political parties.
Police and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) reinforced their presence to implement restrictions in Srinagar, ostensibly due to the Covid-19 outbreak.
Lal Chowk, the business nerve centre of Srinagar, was also closed, with barbed wire and barricades erected to prevent entry into the neighbourhood.
The main road leading towards the house of Srinagar MP and National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Gupkar road was blocked by the police and no one was allowed on the road. Abdullah had called a meeting of mainstream leaders at his house, his son and former chief minister Omar Abdullah said.
As BJP leaders in Kashmir celebrated, Union minister S Jaishankar said “transformation was underway” in J&K and Ladakh.