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