Srinagar: Restrictions will be imposed in parts of downtown Srinagar on Saturday, authorties said on Friday.
The Joint Resistance leadership has called for a shutdown on Saturday against the braid chopping incidents. They have also appealed for observing a ‘civil curfew’.
According to the District Magistrate Srinagar, restrictions under Section 144 of CrPC will remain in force under the jurisdiction of Police Stations Nowhatta, Khanyar, Rainawari, M R Gunj, Safakadal and partially in Kralkhud and Maisuma, in district Srinagar on October 21 (Saturday) as a precautionary measure to avoid any untoward incident.
Earlier, for the fourth consecutive week, Friday prayers were not allowed in the Jamia Masjid of Srinagar. JRL had called for peaceful protests after Friday prayers.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was placed under house arrest ahead of his Charar-e-Sharif visit today.
Braids of more than a 100 women has been chopped off in the past two months. Not a single person has been nabbed in connection with the crimes. Police, on the contrary balmes the local populace for not cooperating with them.
Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti who after a 100 braid chopping incidents broke her silence and called it an attempt to create mass hysteria. She added that it was an attempt to undermine the dignity of women.
Her cabinet minister Altaf Bukhari, who is the Education Minister touted the who thing as ‘Mass Hysteria’ and an attempt to divert children from education.
The Opposition and the Resistance leaders have been castigating the government on a daily basis for failing to stop the incidents and ‘protecting the honour of mothers and sisters’.
In a statement on Thursday, the Joint Resistance Leadership ‘warned’ the authorities that if the attacks don’t stop they will launch a ‘peoples’ movement’.
On Friday, a mentally challenged person was beaten in Sopore after being mistaken as a braid chopper. The police said that the angry ‘mob’ was about to set him ablaze.
Police have registered an FIR in the case and the persons involved have been identified.
