Protests in Kashmir ahead of SC hearing on Article 35-A today

Peaceful protests were held across Kashmir and Chenab valleys and some parts of Jammu against the legal challenge to the validity of Article 35-A of the Constitution in the Supreme Court.

The protesters vowed to defend the constitutional provision that bars people from outside Jammu and Kashmir to acquire any immovable property in the state.

Traders’ organisations took out a protest march and held a sit-in at Lal Chowk in support of continuation of Article 35-A. Similar rallies were held at Zadibal, Karfali Mohalla, Rainawari, Anchaar, Dalgate, Rambagh, Khanyar and Parimpora in the city, officials said.


The SC is scheduled to hear pleas challenging the validity of the Article 35-A on Monday.

The ongoing Amarnath Yatra has been temporarily suspended for two days in the wake of the strike call given by the Hurriyat leadership. The train services across the Kashmir Valley have also been suspended.

Meanwhile, an RSS-linked NGO, which has moved the SC for scrapping Article 35-A on Sunday said it would seek hearing of its plea by a Constitution bench. “We are going to tell the Supreme Court through our counsel tomorrow (Monday) that our petition on Article 35-A be decided by a Constitution bench,” Chetan Sharma, convener of the J&K chapter of the civil society ‘We the Citizens’, told reporters here.

The Hurriyat leadership has called for complete shutdown on August 5 and 6, threatening to launch mass agitation if the special status was tinkered with.