SRINAGAR Life across Kashmir came to a grinding halt on the second consecutive day on Friday as the strike call by the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) against the assault on Article 35A evoked a total response.
Most of Hurriyat leaders continued to remain under house detention and preventive custody to keep them from leading protests.
Amid exemplary shutdown, reports said that there were protest demonstrations at many parts of Srinagar and elsewhere in many parts of Kashmir.
Markets remained shut and people stayed indoors turning the entire city and major towns into virtual ghost towns.
Schools, colleges and universities too remained shut on the second consecutive day, and government offices registered very thin or no attendance. The main seat of the government, the civil secretariat too was virtually deserted.
Apprehending big protests, authorities deployed government forces in strength across Srinagar.
Restrictions were imposed in the jurisdiction of several police stations, including MR Gunj, Khanyar, Rainawari, Nowhatta, Safa Kadal besides Maisuma and Kral Khud.
No Friday prayers were allowed in historic Jamia Masjid, first time after new governor assumed office earlier this month.
Reports of the complete shutdown were also received from other districts of the Kashmir besides some parts of Jammu region.
The JRL, comprising leaders from both factions of the Hurriyat besides JKLF had called for a two-day protest shutdown on August 30 and 31 to protest the series of petitions filed in the Supreme Court challenging the validity of article 35A.
The law grants special citizenship rights to the people of J&K and bars outsiders from buying land and other properties in the Muslim-majority state. The Supreme Court, has, however, deferred the case until the second week of January.
Resistance leaders continued to remain caged in their homes. Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani continued confined to his Hyderpora residence, while Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has been under house confinement since Thursday.
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