JRL called shutdown affects Normal life in Kashmir

By Kashmir Age Online Last updated Aug 5, 2018

Srinagar: Normal life has come to a grinding halt in the Valley in wake of the shutdown called by joint resistance leadership (JRL) against the ‘politically motivated’ attempts to revoke special status granted to the state of Jammu and Kashmir.

In Srinagar, all shops, business establishments, financial institutions and petrol pumps are closed in response to the two-day shutdown, called by joint resistance leadership against the attempts to abrogate Article-35 A, which grants special rights and privileges to the permanent residents of the state.

Skeletal traffic plied on the otherwise busy roads of Srinagar city. Lal Chowk, the commercial hub of this capital city, and its adjacent areas wore a deserted look due to the two-day strike that began today.

A posse of CRPF and policemen armed with sophisticated weapons and riot gear guarded the deserted streets, lanes and by lanes of this capital city to foil any attempt of the people to stage pro-freedom and anti-India demonstrations.

Reports of shutdown in response to the JRL call have also been received from other districts and major towns of the Valley.

Pertinently, four petitions demanding scrapping of the provision are listed for hearing tomorrow before a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud.

The main petition was filed by a Delhi-based NGO “We the Citizens”. Later, three petitions filed by West Pakistan Refugees Action Committee, Dr Charu Wali Khanna, and Kali Dass were clubbed together.

The pleas have challenged, among others, certain provisions of Article 35A which deny property rights to a woman from J&K who marries a person from outside the state.

Article 35A was added to the Constitution of India by a Presidential Order in 1954.