Shutdown in Kashmir over flood relief, traders detained
8 Sept 2015 6:09 AM IST
The Opposition National Conference, which had given the call for <g data-gr-id="32">bandh</g> besides the separatists on the first anniversary of the floods that left nearly 300 people dead and caused massive destruction, hit out at the Mufti Sayeed Government for the crackdown, saying it was scuttling legitimate democratic protests.
Police took into preventive custody leaders of Kashmir Economic Alliance (KEA) including Mohammad Yasin Khan and Showkat Chowdhary in a pre-dawn swoop ahead of their planned protest at Lal Chowk. Several separatist leaders including moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar <g data-gr-id="38">Farooq,</g> were also put under house arrest.
A police official said the area around Lal Chowk’s historic Clock Tower has been sealed and no one will be allowed to proceed in that direction.
Police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed in numbers to prevent any law and order situation, the official said. The KEA had called for a shutdown on Monday to mark the first anniversary of the floods and was also planning a symbolic protest.
NC leader and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah slammed the Centre and Jammu and Kashmir government, saying they had made “tall promises” of providing relief to the people “but till this day, we have got nothing”.
He warned that such actions will only alienate the people and accused the ruling PDP of “sabotaging” the relief package for the state.
“In a series of midnight raids Mufti Syed has ensured the arrest of all the Trade Body leaders. Their crime? Unhappiness over flood relief. “All these people wanted to do was register their dissatisfaction at the absence of any meaningful flood relief. Shame on Mufti the Dictator,” Omar said in a series of tweets.
He also took a dig at Mufti Mohammed Sayed Government’s plan to mark the floods anniversary as revival day.
“If Mufti Sb was so sure people were going to celebrate as his Govt has planned on Monday he wouldn’t have ordered these arrests (sic),” Omar tweeted.
One year on, Educational infra yet to be restored
A loss of over Rs 90 crore was caused to the education sector by the devastating floods in Kashmir and the government is yet to restore the infrastructure in educational institutions even a year after the deluge, officials said. “The education sector has faced a loss of Rs 90.29 crore and 1096 schools were damaged across Kashmir. 495 buildings were totally damaged, 601 schools were partially damaged,” officials in Education Department said.
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