March 28, 2024

Parts of Kashmir observed a shutdown on Friday over the controversial remarks by two now-suspended BJP leaders against Prophet Mohammad while the authorities snapped mobile Internet as a precautionary measure, officials said. Security forces have been deployed in strength at sensitive places in the city and elsewhere in the Valley for maintaining law and order, they said.

The old city popularly known as Downtown Srinagar, witnessed a complete shutdown with public transport off the roads.

However, traffic was going along the same route in Lal Chowk, Batamaloo and adjoining areas with offices and schools remaining open.

Authorities have shut down the Internet on mobile devices in some areas as a precautionary measure to stop rumour-mongers, officials said, adding there were no reports of any untoward incident in the Valley, so far.

A few days back, mobile Internet was suspended in Kashmir as a precautionary measure after a court awarded life imprisonment to separatist leader Yasin Malik in a terror funding case, officials said.

They said the mobile Internet has been suspended across all network service providers in the Valley.

However, the officials said, Internet services were working on fixed-line, including fiber and broadband.

The officials said the decision to suspend the mobile Internet was taken as a precautionary measure after Malik’s sentencing by a court in Delhi.