Srinagar: Normal life was disrupted in Kashmir Valley on Saturday due to a strike called by separatist groups against the arrest of ex-Delhi University Professor S A R Geelani and JNU students on charges of sedition following the Afzal Guru event in the varsity.
Most of the shops, business establishments, petrol pumps and offices were shut in and around the Lal Chowk city centre and in many areas elsewhere in the city, while government offices witnessed thin attendance, officials said.
They said public transport was off the roads, however, private cars, cabs, and auto-rickshaws were seen plying at many places.
Similar reports were received from other district headquarters of the Valley, the officials said. Banks were closed on account of the fourth Saturday, while educational institutions were shut due to the ongoing winter vacations.
Separatist groups including hardline Hurriyat Conference and JKLF had called for protests yesterday and a general strike today against arrest Geelani and JNU students.
Meanwhile, a police spokesman said police and paramilitary CRPF have been deployed in strength in sensitive areas of the city like Maisuma and other downtown areas to maintain law and order.
Hardline Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani has termed the registration of sedition charges against the ex-Delhi University Professor as an "unjust crackdown of Delhi Police".
