SRINAGAR, January 26: Kashmiris on both sides of the Line of Control and across the world on Thursday have observed Indian Republic Day, as Black Day in protest against India’s continued denial of Kashmiris’ right to self-determination.
Call for the observance of the Black Day had been given by the joint resistance leadership comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik. The day has been marked with a complete strike in occupied Kashmir and anti-India demonstrations and rallies in world capitals.
Meanwhile, the puppet authorities put the entire occupied Kashmir especially Srinagar and Jammu under siege. Thousands of Indian troops and police personnel were deployed in every nook and corner of the occupied territory causing huge inconvenience to the people. The forces’ personnel conducted frisking and checking of vehicles and passengers in Srinagar and other major towns besides carrying out surprise raids in different areas.
Inspector General of Indian Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), RDS Sahi in an interview admitted that extra security arrangements had been made for the Indian Republic Day. He said that the CRPF in coordination with police had been taking various measures. He said that joint nakas of CRPF and police had been set up all across the occupied territory.
RDS Sahi said, CRPF is also utilizing additional companies presently
in occupied Kashmir for the security purposes on January 26. “We are using around seven additional CRPF companies for security purposes in Valley on this Republic Day,” he said. These companies were part of 102 additional CRPF companies brought to Kashmir last year to quell the mass uprising, which was triggered by the extrajudicial killing of popular youth leader, Burhan Wani, on July 8, 2016. A senior police official said that the so-called security had been beefed up with search operations and frisking of vehicles undertaken in sensitive areas.-Agencies
