Kashmir : Hurriyat leader Ali Geelani placed under house arrest

SRINAGAR: The Jammu and Kashmir Police on Thursday placed Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani under house arrest ahead of a rally announced by him in Tral tomorrow.

Jammu-government of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed had already denied permission to Hurriyat leaders for holding the rally.

CM Sayeed had earlier today said that waving of Pakistani flags and raising pro-Pak chants were ‘not acceptable and will not be tolerated’.

The statement was made after the chief minister was criticized from all quarters including PDP ally BJP.

Sayeed was slammed for allowing Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani to hold a rally in Srinagar on Wednesday where pro-Pakistan people shouted slogans in favor of Pakistan and waved Pakistani flags.

In view of the development, the CM asked police to deny permission for tomorrow’s rally which was scheduled to be taken from Srinagar to Tral where Indian Army had killed a youth while in their custody.

Police are likely to enforce Section 144 to restrict movement of people.

Geelani, against whom a case was also put up by the police, issued a statement saying that state government could not suppress his voice.

Home Minister Rajnath Singh called CM Saeed hours after the Srinagar rally asking him to take ‘stringent’ action against the law breakers ‘at the earliest’.

The home minister today again asserted not to tolerate anyone voicing chants like ‘Pakistan Zindabad’.

The Jammu and Kashmir Police have lodged an FIR against Geelani and other leaders from Hurriyat Conference under various sections.