Parts of Kashmir on Wednesday, including commercial hub of Lal Chowk, observed a shutdown against the demolition drive launched by the Jammu and Kashmir administration to retrieve state land.?

Shops and other business establishments remained closed in most parts of Srinagar while reports reaching here from Anantnag said the main town observed shutdown.

Although it was not immediately clear who had called for the strike, unofficial reports from Anantnag said posters purportedly issued by the Hurriyat Conference had appeared at some places in this regard.

Political Parties in Kashmir had termed it 'worse than the situation in Afghanistan':

Political parties in Jammu and Kashmir have expressed their resentment against the government eviction drive in Jammu and Kashmir, with former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti terming the situation in the Union Territory worse than Afghanistan.?

“We are worse than Afghanistan in the way bulldozers are being used to demolish homes,” Mufti had said in a presser in New Delhi recently.

National vice president and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has also lambasted the government over anti-encroachment drive.?

“The government must issue proper notices to those who, according to it, have grabbed state land and give them at least six weeks’ time to prove their claim on land,” Omar had said.

He had also said: “Bulldozers should be the last resort”.

Former Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, who has also been the Jammu and Kashmir’s CM also opposed the government’s move of eviction drive.

Sajad Lone, who is viewed as close to BJP in Kashmir had also expressed his resentment over the anti-encroachment drive. “Do they want to retrieve land or humiliate people?” Lone had said.

(With PTI inputs)
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