Kashmir under siege as PM visits the valley

Restrictions have been imposed in all the parts of Srinagar, as PM Narendra Modi visits Jammu and Kashmir after the bloodiest couple of months. Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit, separatist leaders Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Shah Geelani were put under house arrest on Saturday.

All the schools and colleges have been closed to avert the protests. Apart from this, internet services have also been snapped in the entire region of Kashmir for today.

“As the authoritarian rulers once again belie any claim to democracy by imposing #HouseArrests #Curfew #Restrictions #Barricades #Blockades closure of educational institutions on the visit of Indian PM to valley, I will peacefully march towards #LalChowk at 11 am,” one of the separatist, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq tweeted Saturday morning.

The separatists had given a call for a march to Lal Chowk, located in the heart of the city, to protest against the violence and bloodshed of security forces in the last couple of months.
All the entry points leading to Lal Chowk have been sealed to prevent people from coming out of their homes and gathering. Tight security measures have disrupted the life.

Restrictions were imposed in the entire downtown area and the roads wore a deserted as people were confined to their houses. A three-tier security ring has been thrown around the city ahead of Modi’s visit and all roads leading to the Sher-e-Kashmir International Convention Centre have been blocked for any vehicular movement.

All roads leading to the venue would be closed till Sunday afternoon, until the prime minister is in the city. The river police wing of state police, the CRPF and the BSF have been deployed in the Dal Lake. On the other hand, Army has been asked to dominate the Zaberwan peak administering the venue where Modi would inaugurate a power project and a ring road around Srinagar.

It is not the first time that the restrictions have been imposed in Kashmir and people have been confined to their houses. Instead, there have been many incidents where curfew has been imposed in several parts of the valley ahead of PM’s visit, which has even led to clashes and deaths.