Fayaz Bukhari
Srinagar, Apr 1: Clashes between protesters and security forces continued for second consecutive day today in South Kashmir township of Shopian against the arrest of youth on charges of stone pelting while authorities put several leaders of moderate faction of Hurriyat Conference including its chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq under house arrest after the separatist amalgam said it will visit the family of Parliament attack convict Mohammad Afzal Guru.
The ding dong battles between protesters and security forces continued for second consecutive day today in Shopian over the arrests. Protesters pelted stone on police and para-military Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) near district hospital, poilice Station Shopian, Bun Bazar and Gagran areas of the township in protest.
Police fired tear smoke and charged batons on the protesters to disperse them. Over a half a dozen protesters were injured in the clashes. One Ulfat Jan daughter of Abdul Qayoom was injured in alleged CRPF beating during protests at Gargan. She was removed to nearby hospital for treatment.
Police last evening arrested one more youth Haseeb Ahmad Gania on charges of stone pelting leading to more protests today.
The protest broke out in Shopian on Sunday after the arrest of one Zubair Ahmed Turray son of Bashir Ahmed on charges of stone pelting. Police also arrested an active worker of Hurriyat (G) from Zainapora area of Shopian for inciting people to violence.
The shops remained closed and traffic was off the roads in protest against the arrests. Protesters are demanding release of these youth while police says that they are hard core stone pelters.
In the meantime, chairman of Hurriyat Conference Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and its several other leaders were placed under house arrest by the authorities today.
Besides Mirwaiz, Aga Syed Hassan Alsafvi Almosvi, Zaffar Akbar Bhat, Msoulana Masroor Abbas Ansari, Salim Geelani, and advisor to the chairman Shahidul Islam were also put under house arrest.
Mirwaiz had yesterday announced that he, along with other leaders of Hurriyat Conference, would visit Guru’s house at Doabgah, Sopore in North Kashmir today.
However, apprehending law and order problems the authorities placed him under and his associates house arrest.
Another Hurriyat leader and Jammu and Kashmir People’s League Chairman, Mukhtar Ahmad Waza was yesterday detained and lodged in police station Sadder in south Kashmir’s Anantnag district.
Mirwiaz in a statement issued here expressed serious concern over the arrest of Hurriyat activists and workers by the Government. He said instead of treating them as political prisoners, the authorities behaved as they were criminals and imprisoned them in jails along with the people already detained for petty social offences.
Mirwaiz, termed house arrest and detention of Hurriyat leaders and activists as a political vendetta, He said by doing this the State Government has trespassed all the moral and political norms. “There is possibility that this uncalled for action by the Government could lead to serious repercussions”, Mirwaiz warned.
Mirwaiz was placed under house arrest 4 days after his release. He was kept under house arrest since Guru’s execution but was released on last week.
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