Srinagar, Mar 04: Various trade bodies have called for ‘Kashmir bandh’ Tuesday against the ban on Jamaat-e-Islami and the legal challenge to Article 35-A.
The call for the strike was issued by various trade bodies of the Valley on Monday.
The Government of India Thursday banned Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu and Kashmir for five years, alleging that it was “in close touch with militant outfits” and expected to “escalate secessionist movement” in the state.
A notification, banning the group under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, was issued by the ministry of home affairs after a high-level meeting on security, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
A bunch of petitions have challenged Article 35-A in the Supreme Court. The article confers special rights to the residents of Jammu and Kashmir.
Meanwhile, Huriryat-M chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq on Monday said that people of Kashmir were ready to sacrifice themselves to protect Article 35-A.
Addressing a gathering at Rajouri Kadal soon after his release from house detention, Mirwaiz said that the people of Kashmir were ready to “spill their blood to protect the state’s special status”.
Mirwaiz said that people of Kashmir are united to fight a battle against any assault aimed at rolling back Article 35-A.
“We will not allow anything aimed at changing the demography of the state to change the basic nature of Kashmir dispute,” he said.
“Arrest spree, NIA raids and other ploys can’t break our resolve to fight against the forcible control of New Delhi. Such steps were taken in the past too but failed to break the resolve of people of Kashmir,” Mirwaiz said.
He also condemned the crackdown on Jamaat-e-Islami across Kashmir Valley.
