Police arrested all but 20 activists belonging to different right wing Hindu outfits who in scattered form appeared in city centre Lal Chowk area of Srinagar city to hoist Indian tricolor on Monday morning.Confirming the detention, a police official told news agency CNS on condition of anonymity that all but 20 activists from right wing Hindu outfits hailing from different Indian states including Gujrat, Rajhstan and Haryana in the guise of Yatri’s had arrived in Kashmir. Shortly after receiving the inputs, police sounded an alert. “We arrested some of these activists near Ghanta Ghar on August 14 while on their identification nabbed the others during the wee hours on August 15. They were carrying tricolours that were seized by the police,” a lower rung policeman divulged this information.During questioning these activists confirmed that they were send by Bhartiya Janata Party to wave and hoist Indian flags at city centre Lal Chowk in Srinagar city.When CNS talked to some of these activists, they said that they were misinformed by their superiors about Kashmir unrest. “We were shocked to see deserted streets and roads here. We have now started to believe that Kashmir is a dispute that needs to be resolved,” the activist said.
Police also prevented two local BJP activists Altaf Thakur and Ali Muhammad alias Dr Ali from hoisting tricolor near TRC chowk Srinagar. Eyewitnesses said that Thakur and Ali along with their personal cameraman alighted from a private vehicle and tried to hoist tricolor near TRC chowk, however, police prevented them from doing so. “They indulge in such actions just to grab media attention and vitiate atmosphere here. Please don’t quote me but this truth,” said a police official and added that at a time when we are putting all our efforts to restore normalcy here, these people only add fuel to the fire.Meanwhile, police also arrested Kashmir legislator Engineer Rasheed along with his activists who tried to wave black flags in city centre Lal Chowk. Rasheed along with activists emerged in Lal Chowk, however, police swiftly confronted them and detained Rasheed and his activists and lodged them in police station Kothibagh. Pertinently, it has become a routine for right wing outfits affiliated with BJP to motivate and persuade their activists to visit Kashmir and wave tricolor in Kashmir capital Srinagar. (CNS)