Srinagar: A fresh order directing the five zonal superintendents of police to provide the list of mosques in the city and its management committees has added to the speculation about some major decision in the offing regarding Jammu and Kashmir's special status. "Please provide details of mosques and their managements falling without your respective jurisdictions as per enclosed proforma to this office immediately for onward submission to higher authorities," according an order issued by the Srinagar senior superintendent of police to the zonal SPs on Sunday night. The order, which is being widely circulated on social media, has added to the speculation that the Centre might have plans to do away with Article 35A, which gives exclusive rights to the state's residents in government jobs and land. These speculations have dominated the discourse in Kashmir over the past few days after the Centre decided to rush an additional 100 companies of central armed paramilitary forces to the valley.

The mainstream political parties have vowed to resist any such move to tinker with the special status. On Saturday, a letter by a Railway Protection Force (RPF) official in Budgam asking employees to stock ration for at least four months and take other steps due to "forecast of deteriorating situation" in the Kashmir Valley "for a long period" created a flutter. "As per inputs received from different security agencies and SSP/GRP/SINA (senior superintendent of police, Government Railway Police, Srinagar) regarding forecast of deteriorating situation in Kashmir valley and issue of law and order for a long period, a precautionary security meeting was held on July 27," the letter by Sudesh Nugyal, assistant security commissioner, RPF, Budgam, reads. The official asked the employees to take various precautionary measures like storing drinking water for seven days and fill vehicles fully to deal with the issue of law and order for a long period as there is a "forecast of deteriorating situation" in the valley. The railways, however, clarified that the communication had no basis and the official had no authority to issue it. National Conference leader and former chief minister Omar Abdullah had questioned the motive behind such a missive.