Restrictions are being imposed in Srinagar and several other parts of Kashmir to prevent the spread of protests against the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei.
Lal Chowk, the epicentre of the protests, has been sealed off. Mobile internet service has been restricted, and all the schools and colleges across Kashmir have been closed for two days. Several religious and social groups have called for a shutdown on Monday. The shutdown call was supported by PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti.
Massive protests have erupted across Kashmir against the killing of Khamenei. Large crowds gathered in front of the United Nations Military Observers Group (UNMOGIP) headquarters in Srinagar and shouted slogans against the United States, Israel, and its allies.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has appealed for calm amid widespread protests in the Valley. Abdullah said that his government is in close coordination with the Ministry of External Affairs to ensure the safety and well-being of J&K residents, including students who are in Iran.
A heavy police and paramilitary deployment has been made, and top officers, including Jammu and Kashmir Director General of Police Nalin Prabhat, were personally at the protest sites. There was no report of any untoward incident or violence, as the protests were completely peaceful.
A large number of women and children carrying Khamenei photographs and flags were part of the protests. Mourners beat their chests to show intense grief over the killing of their religious leader.
"He (Khamenei) is more dear to me than my parents. It's an irreplaceable loss. They have martyred him because he was the biggest pillar of Islam," said a woman protester at Lal Chowk. She was accompanied by her husband and eight-year-old son.
"There are no words to express our grief. But they can't stop the idea of Khamenei after his martyrdom," said Ajaz Rizvi, another protester.
During the protests, there were some common slogans: "Allah o Akbar, Khamenei rehbar (God is great and Khamenei is the leader)," and "America ka jo yaar hai, gaddar hai, Israel ka yaar hai gaddar hai (Those who are friends with the US and Israel are traitors)."
At the UN Military Observers Group for India and Pakistan (UNMOGIP) located at Sonwar, Srinagar, protesters tried to submit a memorandum; however, no official from the UN office came out as police and CRPF barricaded the main gate of the UNMOGIP. For several hours, protesters staged a sit-in at the location and blocked the road amid mourning and sloganeering.
This is the first time in recent years that a protest of such a magnitude was allowed in Srinagar.
Khamenei was holding central authority for Shiite Muslims, and it's that deep reverence for him that the Valley witnessed such an outpouring of anger and grief.
