Republic Day functions passed off peacefully in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday, while a militant was killed in south Kashmir in a pre-dawn operation. However, the normal life remained disturbed in the Valley due to a separatists’ shutdown call.
Addressing the R-Day function in Jammu, Governor N.N. Vohra, who paid tributes to the late Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed, said, “I hope the elected government will soon assume office in the State.”
“The people of the State would be the greatest beneficiaries of the peace initiative started by Prime Minister Narendra Modi between India and Pakistan,” he added.
The passing away of Mufti on January 7 slipped the State into the Governor’s rule. Mufti’s daughter Mehbooba Mufti, Peoples Democratic President and MP, attended the Republic Day function in Srinagar. Besides, National Conference (NC) working president and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was present on the occasion at the Bakshi Stadium, the venue of R-Day function.
Unprecedented security arrangements were made in Jammu and Srinagar. The authorities snapped the internet services in the Valley in the morning and unbarred it in the afternoon.
Firebrand legislator MLA Engineer Rashid was disallowed to leave his Srinagar residence.
Senior separatist leaders, including Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik, had called for a shutdown and asked people to observe the day as “Black Day”.
The shutdown call impacted the normal life as thin traffic was observed on the roads. All major business centres and markets remained closed. Security personnel dotted the city and all sensitive locations in Srinagar.
In south Kashmir’s Anantnag district, a militant was shot dead in a brief encounter. An official said the militant was spotted around 4 am in Kokernag area. An AK-47 was recovered from the spot, according to a police official.
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