The Jammu & Kashmir Police on Saturday said that traders in Srinagar were “receiving threats from outside” to observe a shutdown on August 5 this year.
Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP), Srinagar, Sandeep Chaudhary, said in a tweet, “Srinagar-based traders and shopkeepers were threatened through messages to observe a strike on August 5 or face consequences.”
He uploaded a “threat” message conveyed to the traders on the social media platform WhatsApp, which reads that “we [the sender] know what the administration and the police have told you [traders] but you have to observe a hartal”. The message further reads that “we should not be forced to take a tough action”.
“People still came out and went ahead with their businesses on August 5,” SSP Chaudhary said.
A shutdown was observed on August 5 in parts of Kashmir on the second anniversary of the revocation of J&K’s special status.
The police statement comes after several shopkeepers in Lal Chowk alleged that the police broke open their shops to ensure no shutdown was observed.
Peoples Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti said in a tweet on Saturday,“The Government of India threatening shopkeepers with FIRs for shutting their shops on 5th Aug as a mark of protest is the latest addition to the growing number of CBMs [confidence building measures] for Kashmiris since all party meeting. First CBM - firing government employees on trivial grounds followed by denying jobs and passports.”
