The Kashmir Valley witnessed a tense Republic Day on Wednesday as the authorities enforced a tight security clampdown to foil attempts by BJP activists and Muslim separatists to pour into Srinagar’s Lal Chowk.
The separatists had called for observance of a “black day”, forcing the authorities to detain their leadership or put them under house arrest and take other tough preventive measures. The shutdown call was widely obeyed by people.
The tricolour was, however, raised at around 10 places at and around Lal Chowk.
Though curfews and similar restrictions, shutdowns, arrests or heavy deployment of the security forces are nothing new here, local residents once again had to stay indoors glued to their television sets to know of the day’s events. Seven BJP activists were arrested on their way to Lal Chowk where they wanted to hoist the tricolour.
A lone BJP supporter, later identified as Srikant from Gurgaon, appeared at Regal Chowk, less than 100 yards from Lal Chowk, holding the flag in his hands at 8.30 am. The police quickly arrested him. Later, at about 11 am, six more BJP activists emerged from a city hotel and began to march towards Lal Chowk. They too were swiftly arrested.