ABVP held a Tiranga rally at Lal chowk in Srinagar on the occasion of 74th Republic Day after the Indian National Flag was hoisted atop the clock tower here on Thursday.
The national flag was flying high atop the clock tower in Lal Chowk, according to images from the city. Notably, the clock tower at Lal Chowk has always held tremendous significance in Kashmiri politics.
Unlike last year, the Lal Chowk was desolate this year, with only a few residents in attendance. However, stores and marketplaces were open in the neighbourhood, and there was a sense of calm in the air.
PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, however, claimed that shopkeepers were ordered to keep the shops open and termed it “coercive steps to project normalcy.”
“While rest of India will celebrate Republic Day as a holiday tomorrow, shopkeepers in Kashmir have allegedly been ordered to keep their shops open or face consequences. One of many abnormal & coercive steps to project normalcy,” she tweeted.
