Valley stays shut,Internet blocked

Geelani Sunday appealed to the people of both communities to maintain peace and brotherhood. “I appeal to the people of both communities to maintain peace and brotherhood at all costs and do not allow the designs and conspiracies of diseased mentality to succeed,” he said.

Geelani criticised the role played by Village Defence Committees (VDC) members in Jammu region,saying their very existence is the root cause of all problems in the region. “The members affiliated with these committees are responsible for present turmoil and are involved in killing,rape,arson and extortion and in order to deviate the attention from their ill designs,some elements for their vote bank politics are hell-bent to sow seeds of communalism.”

Meanwhile,chairman of the moderate Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umar Farooq,while expressing anguish over the mounting strife and violence in Kishtwar,blamed the mainstream political parties for playing politics. “The situation in Kishtwar is a result of ruthless,Machiavellian politics played out by these mischievous mainstream parties for electoral gains and appeasement of their masters and agencies to stay in power,” he said.

After the tension escalated in the region,the cellular Internet services were blocked across the valley from Sunday morning. The officials however were reluctant to admit the Internet blockade. Mobile Internet service providers like Airtel,Aircel and Reliance was down,while only government-run BSNL-Broadband services were working. This is for the fourth time when Internet services have been suspended in the valley this year.

Following the strike call,most of the shops,business establishments and petrol pumps across the valley remained shut. Public transport was off the roads but a few private cars and auto rickshaws were seen plying.