The Jammu and Kashmir administration has removed restrictions on public movement and gathering that were imposed in Jammu last week following the Centre’s move to end the state’s special status, a senior police officer told NDTV on Wednesday. However, the curbs will remain in place in Kashmir Valley.
School and other establishments have reopened and the primary focus of the police was to make arrangements for Independence Day, ANI quoted Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) Muneer Khan as saying.
Jammu and Kashmir Principal Secretary Rohit Kansal said that the overall situation in the state remained calm, PTI reported. “Further relaxations in prohibitory orders have been given in a large number of areas, including in Srinagar, and these relaxations will continue to be given till this afternoon,” he said.
“When a new situation of law and order arises, opposite parties including the neighbouring states take the initiative of unleashing the propaganda,” Khan said. “Videos of 2016 and 2010 are in circulation now, that is part of propaganda. We’re taking all measures to thwart these attempts.”
The police officer said “localised incidents” had occurred in several parts of Srinagar and other districts in the past week, and added that they were “dealt with locally”. No major injuries occurred apart from a few pellet injuries, Khan claimed. He said the police were making sure that “no civil casualty” occurs.
However, Khan refused to comment about the number of people detained in the state. “In a law and order situation like this, there are different kinds of detention... preventive detention to ensure the established miscreants do not vitiate the peaceful atmosphere... so you have to take preventive steps,” he was quoted as saying by PTI.
The police officer said arrangements for Independence Day celebrations were in place, and asked the state’s residents to celebrate it on August 15.
The police officer’s statement came a day after the Jammu and Kashmir government said restrictions imposed in the Valley since August 4 would be lifted in a phased manner. Flights from the Kashmir Valley were operating normally, and about 1,500 vehicles were plying daily on the highway, said a spokesperson.
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