SRI NAGAR: People in the Kashmir Valley, now under partial shutdown, will be allowed to offer prayers in mosques during Eid-Ul-Azha on Monday. The government is unlikely to allow large congregational gatherings in the Valley. A police official said Eid prayers would be allowed.
“We will allow Eid congregational prayers at all locals mosques in Srinagar and other parts of the Valley. We will not allow large Eid congregational gatherings as we fear it will lead to law and order disturbance,” he said.
The official said the security deployment would not be removed on Eid. “The police and paramilitary personnel would be deployed in strength in all areas, especially in sensitive and volatile pockets,” he said.
The authorities had not allowed Friday prayers at historic Jamia Masjid on Friday to foil protests against scrapping of Article 370.
The official said the security personnel have been told to remain on high alert on Monday as there are apprehensions of protests.
The government, meanwhile, is going to act tough against people, who participate in protests and indulge in stone-pelting.
Information Secretary M K Dwivedi said the government has formed a list of trouble mongers. “The trouble mongers attempting to vitiate peace and harmony in the state can be jailed up to one year without trial,” he said. He, however, said they can challenge the detention in courts.
Meanwhile, the salary of government employees was released on Sunday.
Government spokesman Rohit Kansal told media persons that Rs 1,500 crores were released as salary and pension of government employees.
