Ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) is celebrating its 17th Foundation Day on Thursday while Kashmir is observing a complete shutdown today.
As the function started around 11 today, the media was banned from entering the venue and covering the event by the special security stationed around the venue-PDP’s head office near Municipal Park.
“Please stay away,” an SSG commando told media persons who intended to enter the venue, “you will create problems for as we have been strictly ordered not to allow anyone inside.”
Chief Minister Ms Mehbooba Mufti arrived around 11:15 AM as party activists, around 200 in number, rose to pro-PDP sloganeering. Almost all cabinet ministers and party MLAs were present on the occasion, however, party sources said that only Party’s Public Relations and Publicity Division will issue a statement about the function at the end of the event.
Going by the trend of PDP, it appears that 17th Foundation Day of PDP is first one to be celebrated out of media glare.
This comes in the wake of mass uprising since the day popular militant commander Burhan Wani was killed along with his two associates in Kokernag area on July 08, 2016 evening. At least 59 civilians have been killed by forces since then. Thousands have been injured and hundreds are bed ridden in hospitals with at least 50 persons blinded for life.