Posters warning locals against continuing normal activities surface in J-K's Mendhar town

Posters warning residents against continuing with normal activities post scrapping of special status to Jammu and Kashmir have come up in a town in the border district of Poonch, officials said on Sunday, as police rounded up some people and believe it to be the handiwork of "mischief mongers".

This is for the first time that such posters by any terrorist organisation have surfaced in any part of the Jammu region, where normal life remained mostly unaffected after the Centre announced the abrogation of provisions of Article 370 and bifurcation of the state into Union territories -- Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh -- early last month.

The one-page Urdu posters, which are claimed to be on behalf of Al-Badr Mujahideen, were seen pasted at several places in Mendhar town on Saturday. The posters were immediately seized by police, the officials said.

The posters also warned shopkeepers, employees, transporters and petrol pump owners against continuing their activities.

"We have taken cognizance of the posters and have rounded up two to three persons for questioning," Poonch Senior Superintendent of Police Ramesh Angral told PTI.

There is no presence of any terrorist organisation in the district after it was declared terrorism free over a decade ago, he said, adding that the pasting of the posters is believed to be the handiwork of "mischief mongers".

"Those behind the pasting of such posters will be traced and appropriate action as per the law will be taken against them," Angral said.

Officials said the posters did not have any bearing on the normal activities of the people.

However, additional deployments have been made in the border town to keep an eye on subversive elements bent upon to disturb peace in the region, they said.

Earlier, posters by different terrorist organisations had come up in various areas of Kashmir Valley, where normal life remains disrupted for the 56th day post the Centre's decision of scrapping Article 370 provisions.