While strongly condemning the desecration of the Srinagar Jamia Masjid by lobbing tear smoke shells into the holy place, Chairman Hurriyat (G) Syed Ali Geelani said that this historic Masjid is a strong fort of the resistance movement of Kashmir and the government is targeting this place under a well planned manner.While terming the shutdown call of the traders to protest this desecration as legitimate and right, Syed Ali Geelani said that when atrocities crossover the limits, then protest is the only option left with the subjugated people.In a statement to KNS, the Hurriyat (G) Chairman strongly condemned the thrashing and beating of the shopkeepers of the Jamia Market and the adjacent areas by the police and CRPF and said that Friday is an important and sacred day for the Muslims all over the world and this day the people in large numbers participate in the congregational prayers in the Jamia Masjid but this thing is beyond the understanding of anyone that why on this day a large number of police and CRPF personals are being deployed in this entire area. A war like situation is created in the Jamia Masjid area from the early morning of Friday and every lane, bylane and every Cowk is occupied by the armed men on this day.
Syed Ali Geelani said that these steps are taken despite that the Kashmiris particularly the Youths does not like the presence of government forces around them and these forces are being considered as an tool of the forced occupation here. While demanding non-deployment of the government forces in the Jamia Masjid area on Fridays, the pro-freedom leader said that these forces have martyred hundreds of innocent and unarmed youths and students of Kashmir in the years 2008 and 2010 so their presence provoke the youths and it is not any surprising or extraordinary issue.Syed Ali Geelani criticized Mufti Sayeed for crossing all the limits of oppression to appease the Sang Parivar and the RSS and due to his atrocities and cruel policies, the situations in the state is worsening day by day and the people are feeling suffocated. He said that this policy will have very serious consequences and all its responsibility will be over the government. (KNS)