13 May 2024 was announced as polling day in Srinagar. Amidst this, The Wire Journalist, Arfa Khanum Sherwani shared a post on the polling day. In the post, she claimed, “Polling is taking place in the city but 99% shops are closed without any formal orders to do so.”
Following her, other social media users have also shared similar claims.
Fact Check
We investigated the viral claim. During the process, we found an official order issued by the General Administration Department (GAD), Jammu and Kashmir. The order notified the holidays under the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
According to the order, April 19 will be a holiday in the Udhampur Lok Sabha constituency, April 26 in the Jammu constituency, May 7 in the Anantnag-Rajouri constituency, May 13 in the Srinagar constituency, and May 20 in Baramulla constituency. Furthermore, the order said a person who is a resident of a constituency and registered as an elector employed in any business, trade, industrial undertakings, or any other establishment and casual worker will be entitled to the benefit of a paid holiday on polling day.
Furthermore, we found media reports that also mentioned the public holiday on 13 May 2024 in Srinagar.
Conclusion
Thus, from the fact check, it is clear that the viral claim is misleading as shops were closed due to a public holiday.
