The mourning procession taken out by the Shia Muslim community on the eight-day of the month of Muharram was suspended by the Police and civil administration in major parts of Srinagar citing the law and order issue constraints owing to the cases that happened in past.
Many people in the city complained about the internet shutdown during the day. The security forces installed barricades with Police and CRPF personnel guarding the posts in different pockets of the city.
The major deployments of personnel were seen at the city center Lal Chowk, Maisuma, Maulana Azad Road, and Dalgate. The police force was on its toes to not let people assemble in large numbers in public places.
The city-wide curb on the movement saw a complete shutdown of the shops where security was deployed and no vehicles were allowed to ply the roads except the emergency that too with permission.
Several residents were complaining of the problem they faced the entire day owing to the movement issue they had to face due to curbs on the movement. Small groups of youth, meanwhile, tried to march on roads in Jehangir Chowk and Batamaloo areas but were detained by police.
“The day passed more peacefully than it used to in the previous years. No force was used, neither tear gas nor batons, as there was no procession. Restrictions under Section 144 of the CrPC were imposed in areas falling under eight police stations,” said Srinagar senior superintendent of police Rakesh Balawal.
The mourning procession is taken out by the members of the Muslim community in the city from Guru Bazar to the Dalgate area but has widely been cracked down by the administration since the militancy hit the state in the early 90s.
A prior order was released on Saturday from the office of District Magistrate obstructing any form of movement especial mentioning the route between Buchwara and Abi Guzar towards Zadibal, citing the law and order concern in the city.