Separatist leaders Masarat Alam and Syed Ali Shah Geelani have been put under house arrest by the Jammu and Kashmir police. The house arrest comes after allegations that those waving Pakistani flags at Alam’s Srinagar rally were Hurriyat supporters.
“Syed Ali Geelani has once again been house arrested, preventing him from visiting Tral tomorrow (Friday) where he was scheduled to address the people,” Hurriyat said in a statement. “A huge deployment of police has been made around his residence and a police vehicle stands blocking the main entrance gate,” it added.
The J&K Police has also decided not to allow anyone to move towards Tral on Friday. IGP, Kashmir, Javaid Mujtaba Gillani told The Indian Express: “We will take necessary measures.”
Separatist hardliner Geelani was scheduled to take out a march to Tral town in South Kashmir on Friday where two youths were killed in an anti-militancy operation. Action was taken after the ruling PDP’s ally BJP demanded that the leaders be put under house arrest if not put back in police custody.
Alam clarified on Thursday that the flags waved in Srinagar on Wednesday were not by Hurriyat leaders but some boys. Alam said, “Hurriyat did not wave Pakistani flags but some boys did it. This is nothing new, it has happened earlier as well”.
Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh has sought the “strictest action” against Alam.
In keeping with that, Singh has also reportedly spoken to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, asking him to act against the “anti-national move.”
Jammu and Kashmir Police had, on Wednesday, filed a case under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act against Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Masarat Alam for allegedly raising anti-national slogans during a rally. The cases were registered against Geelani, Bhat and Peer Saifullah under section 13 of UAPA, police said.
Some miscreants who were part of the crowd organised by Geelani and others also pelted stones on CRPF vehicles.
An FIR was registered under sections 13 Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 120-B, 147, 341, 336, 427 RPC in Budgam police station.
On Wednesday, Geelani held his first public rally in Srinagar after 2010 summer unrest along with separatist leader Bhat as their supporters waved Pakistani flags and chanted pro-Pakistan slogans.
BJP Calls it ‘Unacceptable’
Meanwhile state BJP on Thursday demanded immediate arrest of separatist leaders who had waved Pakistani flags during a rally in Srinagar, saying it was not satisfied with the “mere registration” of a police case against them.
We have conveyed to our coalition partner especially to the chief minister who holds the home ministry that we are not satisfied with mere registration of the FIR against Masarat Alam and Syed Ali Shah Geelani for their anti-national activities, we want their immediate arrest.
– Sunil Sethi, J&K BJP Chief spokesperson
He said the party was of the opinion that the activities of Masarat Alam pose a threat to the national security.
“As long as this man is out of jail, he continues to be a threat to national security. BJP is of the view that this man should be behind bars,” he said.
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