Syed Ali Geelani, associates detained ahead of Anantnag rally

4 injured in clashes

5 Dariya News (Rouf Pampori)

Srinagar 03-Jul-2015

At least four people were injured in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district on Friday in violent protests triggered by the detention of Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman, Syed Ali Geelani and other leaders of the conglomerate.Reports reaching Srinagar based news gathering agency Global News Service said that scores of people to streets at Lal Chowk, Reshi Bazar, Jangal Mandi, General bus stand Mehndi Kadal and other localities this afternoon after conclusion of congregational Friday prayers and staged protests against the arrest of Geelani, who was scheduled to address a rally at the main Town today. Raising slogans in favour of freedom and the senior resistance leader, the protesters, mainly young boys threw stones on the CRPF and policemen that were deployed in advance.

The protesters, witnesses said burst teargas canisters and they failed to chase away stone pelting youth. However, the youth offered stiff resistance and continued renewed assaults on the government forces.“The outbreak of clashes prompted the traders to down their shutters and run towards the safer places. Even the transport was hit due to the clashes,” witnesses said.According to witnesses, at least four people were injured in the clashes that continued till late evening.Earlier in the day, Hurriyat Conference chairman and over a dozen of his associates were detained when they tried to break police cordon and march towards Anantnag town where the rally scheduled to be held. The detainees including Syed Ali Geelani, Raja Mehraj-ud-din, Mohammad Yousuf Mujahid, Hakeem Abdul Rasheed, Mohammad Yousuf Naqash, Ghulam Mohammad Khan Sopori, Bashir Ahmad Andrabi, Mohammad Ashraf Laya, Syed Imtiyaz Hyder, Shakir Ahmad Mir, Syed Zahoor-ul-haq Geelani, Mushtaq Ahmad Shaikh, Umar Adil Dar, Mukhtar Ahmad Laway, Mohammad Ramzan Khan, Sajad Ahmad Sofi, Abdul Rasheed Lone and Javaid Ahmad Gazi were shifted to nearby Humhama police station.While terming the government actions as sheer hooliganism and interference in the religious affairs, Hurriyat Conference said that the dubious statement of the state police chief about the imprisonment of Geelani Sahab has been exposed today

“Today’s government action has proved that the police department is just to spread and promote lies and this institution has no credibility,” Hurriyat spokesman Ayaz Akbar said in a statement issued to GNS.

The amalgam, Akbar said had announced the rally in Anantnag to test the reality of DGP’s statement in which he said Geelai was a free man and he can offer prayers anywhere“We were of the view that to protect and save the honour of the police chief’s statement, the government will release Geelani Sahab for this day and will lift the police cordon around his residence,” Akbar said, adding “Contrary to that, extra ordinary deployment of forces was made in and around Hyderpora. Geelani Sahab’s office and house was practically sealed and no one allowed meeting him,” Hurriyat Spokesman said that before coming to power, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed used to talk on moral high ground and his daughter Mehbooba Mufti used to criticize Omer Abdullah for placing Geelani Sahab under continuous house imprisonment and stopping him from offering Friday prayers.“But as soon as Mufti Sayeed came to power, his political slogans and ideology got badly exposed and he proved to be worst then his predecessor,” he said.Hurriyat Conference urged the Amnesty International and other human rights organizations to take serious notice of the unjust house detention process of the Kashmiri pro-freedom leader and use their influence in ending his illegal and undemocratic imprisonment. (GNS)