Authorities had put in place a strict crackdown, in advance, to thwart any kind of public protests after the legislation was revoked. On Sunday night, the authorities snapped internet, mobile connectivity and local cable television networks, putting Valley into a total information blackout. At midnight, the citizens witnessed massive troop mobilisation — thousands of paramilitary forces and police personnel across the Valley with barbed wires and barricades sealed the roads. Governor Satya Pal Malik-led state administration also imposed Section 144 of CrPc from 1200 Hrs on 5 August till "further orders."
"As per the order there shall be no movement of public and all educational institutions shall also remain closed. There will be a complete bar on holding any kind of public meeting or rallies during the period of operation of this order," an official release on 4 August evening read.
For the residents in Kashmir, the only access to information on Monday was through official radio broadcast and outstation television channels. Residents continue to remain locked inside their homes with no access to essential supplies like food and medicine. While the curfew-like strict restrictions continued on Tuesday, only the reporters of outstation television channels, and no local reporters, were visible on the streets along with security forces.
It took a while for the news of abrogation of Article 370 to sink in on Monday. Since the Valley is still reeling from communication blackout, large parts of Kashmir Valley are still unaware about the scrapping of the provision.
The Valley was rattled by the Central government's decision to scrap the special constitutional provision of Article 370 that governed the relationship between India and the state of Jammu and Kashmir. The article empowered the state government to have its own constitution, have a separate flag and allowed the Parliament to frame laws for the state in only three matters: defence, external affairs and communication. In all other matters, the state government had exclusive autonomy to frame its own laws.
Abrogation of Article 370 has been on the agenda of Hindu right-wing since 1947. With BJP's ideological fountainhead Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) vociferously campaigning against the provision since decades, the abrogation marks the fulfillment of one of the oldest demands of right-wing vis-à-vis Kashmir.
Jammu and Kashmir Governor Satya Pal Malik, however, on Wednesday reviewed the law and order scenario in the state and was informed that the overall situation was satisfactory. In a meeting at the Raj Bhavan, the governor reviewed the law and order situation following the abrogation of provisions of Article 370 and proposed bifurcation of the state into two union territories, a Raj Bhawan spokesperson told Press Trust of India.
He said emergency services in hospitals were functioning, people were seen in markets buying daily provisions and electricity and water supply was also satisfactory. There is sufficient availability of essential supplies, the spokesperson said. The governor was informed that the overall situation in the state was satisfactory, with no untoward incident being reported from anywhere, he said.
In Kashmir, the abrogation is seen as violation of the agreement signed between the state of Jammu and Kashmir and the Union of India in 1950. According to clause 3 of Article 370, the article shall "cease to be operative or shall be operative only with such exceptions and modifications" as notified by the President of India by a public notification.
"Provided that the recommendation of the Constitutional Assembly of the state referred to in clause (2) shall be necessary before the President issues such notification," the clause 3 reads. During the debate on Article 370 in Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Congress MP Manish Tewari termed abrogation of Article 370 without the consent of Constituent Assembly or local elected government as "constitutional fraud".