Police Monday foiled the protest march of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation front (JKLF) and detained scores of its activists after they tried to march towards commercial hub Lal Chowk.The activists were protesting against the 'growing' assaults on Kashmir students studying outside the state.According to JKLF activist, scores of JKLF activists were intercepted by police and were detained outside Taj Hotel who were marching towards commercial hub Lal Chowk from party headquarter at Maisuma.The activists including Advocate Bashir Ahmad Bhat, Noor Muhammad Kalwal, Bashir Ahmad Kashmiri, Zahoor Ahmad Bhat, Professor Javaid, Chairman HCJK, Shabir Ahmad Dar and others were taken under preventive custody.In a statement issued to KNS, Police and forces in the wee hours of Monday morning cordoned the residence of JKLF chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik and arrested him.“JKLF Chief who is suffering from fever and cold was immediately shifted to police station.,” spokesman said, adding that despite Malik’s arrest, JKLF continued with its protest program and led by vice chairman Advocate Bashir Ahmad Butt, JKLF leaders, activists and people from other walks of life including leaders of Hurriyat (JK) Shabir Ahmad Dar, human rights activist Muhammad Ahsan Untoo took out protest rally and marched towards Lal Chowk.
“Chanting Slogans against attacks on Kashmiri students in various Indian states, desecration of graveyards, slapping PSA on innocent youth and other oppressive measures, the rally was intercepted by police and forces who had already laid a siege on every road leading towards Lal Chowk, at Budshah Chowk,” he said.Earlier, Malik had called for a complete shutdown on Tuesday and a sit-in in Lal Chowk on Monday to protest against the assaults on Kashmiri students studying outside the state. Meanwhile, according to statement, JKLF Vice Chairman, Advocate Bashir Ahmad Butt while addressing media and participants of the rally strongly condemned the raid on the residence of JKLF chairman and his arrest.
Butt said that JKLF chairman is suffering from severe cold and fever and was bed ridden but despite his illness he was arrested and put behind bars by police.Butt said that today’s protest is against the notorious attacks on Kashmiri students in India, desecration of graveyards and slapping PSA on innocent Kashmiri youth and other oppressive measures.He said, “These attacks of government backed Hindu nationalism on Kashmiri students have alarmed the Kashmiri nation and if these attacks are not stopped immediately, Kashmiris will have no choice but to launch a full- fledged protest against it.”He said that Kashmiri students are being beaten, harassed and intimidated in India. “Kashmiri youth suffer from routine cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment and torture at the hands of Indian forces in occupied Kashmir and now they are under siege in India as well’” he said.He said that International human rights organizations like Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch are silent on the persecution of Kashmiri youth. “Instead a drama is being staged at NIT Srinagar to hide these atrocities and divert attention from it.
NIT drama is being prolonged and given a communal color and a vicious propaganda has been going on against Kashmiris in the chauvinistic Indian media, which like the Indian civil society and other State brokers, is an arm of the Indian Colonial State.,” he said.Butt said that Indian rulers and their Kashmiri stooges have fallen so low in disgrace that they have started desecrating graves and graveyards. “Our young kids are being slapped with PSA and tortured in detention centres, and hundreds of young Kashmiris continue to languish in jails,” he said.He said that all these oppressive measures by India are a clear show of the Indian colonial mind set and in recent times these oppressive measures by India have risen and now no day passes when Kashmiri students are not being beaten, harassed, arrested and bullied in India.While reiterating the call for a complete shutdown on Tuesday 12th April 2016, Butt sahib said that attacks on Kashmiri students in India and playing with their careers is not tolerable and Kashmiris will keep resisting this growing State sponsored terrorism . Butt sahib said that today’s protest and strike call on 12th April 2016 are aimed at raising our voices against growing Indian government backed Hindu nationalist attacks on Kashmiris. This is a protest against Indian Colonial aggression and we appeal to all our countrymen in Kashmir to remain steadfast and make this protest a success. (KNS)