On the 110th of mass uprising, a complete shutdown continued across Kashmir during which masked youths appeared on roads and ransacked glasses of vehicles defying shutdown in several parts of Valley including in Srinagar.According to GNS, hundreds of forces men were deployed in five police station areas of Srinagar’s Old City – MR Gunj, Nowhatta, Safa Kadal, Rainwari and Khanyar – since early morning. There was however civilian movement without any disruption in all these areas. The areas like Habba Kadal and Maisuma were also under thick security blanket but it didn’t affect movement of civilians.In Civil Lines and uptown area of the Srinagar, extra-ordinary movement of private transport and pedestrians was once again seen since early morning but all the shops, commercial establishments and educational institutes were closed. Besides, the vendors had set up their stalls at Batamaloo, Lal Chowk, Dalgate, Sonwar, Jehangir Chowk, Exhibition crossing and Jawahar Nagar.
The forces were deployed at sensitive areas in strength.Reports said that a group of masked youth appeared at Hari Singh High Street and started ransacking vehicles’ glasses and goods of street vendors for defying shutdown. The youths also pelted stones on passing vehicles and on auto-rickshaws. The attack by youths created panic in the area and later the police arrived on the spot. The youths managed to flee successfully.The reports of ransacking of vehicles were also received from Old City areas after 5pm. A police official said soon after the deployment of forces were withdrawn, groups of youth appeared on roads at Eidgah, Bohri Kadal, Nowhatta, Safa Kadal and Noorbagh and pelted stones on vehicles, resulting in damage to them.In the evening, all the markets across Srinagar opened in the wake of resistance programme of deal in strike after 5pm. The city markets including Lal Chowk witnessed huge rush of people and there were reports of heavy traffic jam from many civil lines areas.
The shutdown was also reported from all the parts of Kashmir Valley. At Pulwama, masked youths carrying sticks appeared on roads at Hospital Road, Muran, Kangan and other areas and resorted to ransacking of shops, vehicles and street vendors’ goods for defying shutdown.Detailing the situation, a police spokesman said: “Situation across the valley remained peaceful. No untoward incident was reported from any part of the valley till filing of this report.” “At Hari Singh High Street some miscreants pelted stones on some vehicles and also tried to ransack some vendors. The police immediately swung into action and chased the miscreants away. An FIR has been lodged in Police Station Shaheed Gunj in this regard,” he said.“Meanwhile constant increase in vehicles and pedestrian movement was noticed in Srinagar and other main towns of the valley. Shops were seen open in many parts of the valley and the vendors were busy in their routine job in chowks and on busy streets,” the police spokesman said.“Adequate deployment of police and security forces was made at vulnerable points in Srinagar city, in main towns as also on the roads, lanes and by-lanes connecting different places,” he added.(GNS)