At least seven shops were allegedly sealed at Budshah Chowk Srinagar during last night by the Waqf Board on a “rent issue”, prompting other shopkeepers of the area to close their shops in order to rally behind their counterparts.
As per the news agency CNS, one of the shopkeepers said that they were not issued any prior notice and their shops were sealed by the Waqf Board on an intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday. “We have been paying the rent and the case [pertaining to giving of rent] is sub-judice at the moment. There has been no directions from the Court to seal the shops and they (Waqf Board) have done it on its own,” he added.
The shopkeepers said they have been paying all their previous rents but are against the Waqf Board’s decision of hiking the rent by a disproportionate amount. They accused the Waqf Board of sealing their shops without consultation with anyone and added that all of them would comply with the order from the court regarding the rent.
Almost all the shops at the Budshah Chowk remained closed in a protest against the move of the Waqf Board.
Another shopkeeper alleged that the Waqf Board Chairperson has not agreed to accept the amount of rent, which was suggested by the shopkeepers.
“Even the concerned police station was not informed before sealing our shops. This is absolute hooliganism,” he said. (CNS)