SRINAGAR: Top three separatists have been put under house arrest ahead of PM Narendra Modi’s visit to Jammu and Kashmir. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Yasin Malik are among those kept under house arrest. PM Modi will be visiting Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir on February 3.
The reason given by the authorities for the arrest is that these separatist leaders have appealed to the people for shutdown during PM Modi’s visit.
The state police department deployed several personnel outside the separatist leader’s house. “Panic buttons pressed by the authoritarian state and control tightened as searches and cordon and search operations conducted even in Lal Chowk!” Farooq tweeted.
India’s Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale summoned Islamabad’s envoy on Wednesday night to condemn a phone call between Pakistan’s Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi and Kashmiri separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. On Thursday, Pakistan had summoned India’s high commissioner in retaliation.
Meanwhile Er. Rasheed was also arrested ahead of Modi’s visit, In a statement issued today spokesman said that this morning a police party led by SDPO Saddar raided Er. Rasheed’s residence and forced him to accompany police station Rajbagh but after Er. Rasheed’s denial and heated arguments, police party left his residence and placed him under house detention.
Spokesman added that AIP is committed to fight for the rights of people of Jammu & Kashmir and by disallowing peaceful protest on eve of Prime Minister’s visit against looting resources of J&K, Governor Administration has yet again proved that fundamental rights of people of J&K have been snatched and suspended.
Sher-e-Kashmir International Conference Centre in Srinagar, where PM Modi is scheduled to visit, has been virtually turned into a fortress. A large number of police and paramilitary personnel have been deployed to secure the venue. Security forces are checking vehicles entering in the city in order to foil any attempt to bring in arms and explosives.
PM Modi will be inaugurating projects worth more than Rs 41,000 crore and address a public rally during his visit to Ladakh, Jammu and Kashmir on February 3. (PTK)
