Government foils separatists’ march to martyrs’ graveyard

Ishfaq Tantry

Advertisement

Tribune News Service

Srinagar, July 13

The state government today foiled the proposed joint march of the separatists to martyrs’ graveyard by imposing restrictions in the old Srinagar city.

Though some activists tried to take out a march from the Shaheed Gunj area of the city, they were quickly rounded up by the security forces and whisked away to the nearest police station.

The two factions of the Hurriyat Conference and the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front had last week called for a joint rally from Jamia Masjid to Naqshbandh Sahib Martyrs’ graveyard to mark the July 13, 1931, Martyrs’ Day.

However, the authorities responded by placing most the separatist leaders, including hardline Hurriyat chief Syed Ali Geelani, moderate Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz and JKLF chairman Yasin Malik under house arrest.

Besides, to foil the march, the authorities today imposed restrictions in old city areas of Nowhatta, Khanyar, Naqshbandh Sahib, Maisuma and other areas to prevent people from moving toward the martyrs’ graveyard. Due to these restrictions, normal activities in most of the areas in old city were disrupted with shops, business establishment remaining suspended. Traffic in these areas was off the roads.

Even today, when some activists belonging to the Muslim League – a constituent of hardline Hurriyat , tried to take out a march in the Shaheed Ganj area this afternoon, they were immediately arrested by the police and taken to the nearest police station. The police today also arrested JKLF leader Javed Mir from the Maisuma area when he tried to move towards the Naqshbandh Sahib area.

In rest of the city, including Lal Chowk area and other area in the civil lines, shops and business establishments were open as separatists had refrained from calling a shutdown on July 13, a first and unprecedented step during the last 25 years since the militancy erupted in the region.

Mufti courts controversy, wears sandals at graveyard

Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed today courted controversy by wearing sandals at the martyrs’ graveyard while laying floral wreaths. The photographs of the Chief Minister with sandals on while laying wreaths went viral on the social media here, inviting wrath of people.

In the photographs released by the government and many others taken by photo journalists, Mufti is shown wearing black coloured sandals while most of his cabinet colleagues from the PDP, who accompanied him to the graveyard in the Naqshbandh Sahib locality today, were seen barefoot.

Besides Mufti, Minister for Public Works, Floriculture, Gardens & Parks, Syed Altaf Bukhari, is also seen wearing sandals.