J&K: 10,000 troops airlifted to Srinagar, separatists call for shutdown today

Amid a massive crackdown on separatists in Jammu and Kashmir that began on Friday night, the Centre has sent around 10,000 soldiers of various paramilitary forces to the state. The government detained over 150 people, mainly separatists from the Jamaat-e-Islami (Kashmir) and the Hurriyat Conference. This included Jamaat-e-Islami chief Abdul Hamid Fayaz and Hurriyat Conference's Yasin Malik.

The detentions in the Kashmir valley come ahead of the Supreme Court hearing on Article 35A of the Constitution, which gives special powers to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, expected to be taken up on Monday.

A notice from the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) late on Friday evening has led to an additional deployment of 100 paramilitary forces being airlifted to Srinagar. The deployment includes 45 from the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), 35 from Border Security Force (BSF), and 10 each of the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP).

The moves come amid possibilities of a war with Pakistan following the February 14 attack by Pakistan-based terror group Jaish on a CRPF convoy that killed more than 40 CRPF troopers.

The situation has been tense across the Valley even as security was tightened.

J&K GOVERNOR ON TROOP MOVEMENT

Jammu and Kashmir governor Satya Pal Malik has said that there was no need for the residents to panic over the movement of troops as it was done as part of a pre-election exercise ahead of the upcoming 2019 Lok Sabha elections and dismissed apprehensions of war and others as rumours. Governor Malik also assured people saying that the Centre and the state administration will not do anything against the Kashmiri people.

SHUTDOWN TODAY

Separatists have called for a shutdown on Sunday, February 24, after the Centre launched a major crackdown on separatists. The Jamaat said that the authorities have given no explanation as to why the raids were necessitated on the oldest religio-political organisation which has over 5,000 cadres.

Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Yasin Malik was also detained by the police in Srinagar on Friday. He has been lodged in a police station.

Authorities imposed restrictions under Section 144 of CrPC, which prohibits assembly of people, in old parts of Srinagar on Sunday, as a precautionary measure.

J&K LEADERS CONDEMN ARRESTS

Condemning the arrests of separatists, former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir and PDP president Mehbooba Mufti said, "In the past 24 hours, Hurriyat leaders & workers of Jamaat organisation have been arrested. Fail to understand such an arbitrary move which will only precipitate matters in J&K. Under what legal grounds are their arrests justified? You can imprison a person but not his ideas."

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said, "People are hoarding food and fuel. Some government orders are adding to the sense of panic"

Separatist-turned-mainstream politician Sajjad Gani Lone, who now heads the political party People's Conference, also cautioned the Centre by reminding it of a similar "failed model" that was tried in 1990.

In the aftermath of the Pulwama terror attack, not just separatists, but mainstream political leaders of the valley including former IAS officer Shah Faesal and PDP leader Waheed Parra have also lost their security cover. The government also withdrew the security cover of several separatists in Kashmir, including Yasin Malik, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Shabir Shah and Saleem Geelani.