Published On:Friday, 31 October 2014
Ahead of polls,Police crackdown on separatists
Malik, Shah, scores of others arrested
SRINAGAR: Ahead of the assembly polls police on Thursday arrested at least ten separatist leaders including Mohammad Yasin Malik, Shabir Shah, Nayeem Khan and others and raided dozens of residences of separatist activists.
Police raided the house of Huriyat (JK) leaders, Shabir Shah, Nayeem Khan and Mohammad Yousuf Naqash and arrested them during the night. Police also arrested Moulana Mohammad Abdullah Tari of Democratic freedom Party. Earlier police arrested Huriyat (G) spokesman, Ayaz Akbar.
A police party raided the office of JKLF, at Abhi Guzar and arrested its Chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik. Advocate Bashir Ahmad Bhat and Ghulam Rasool Dar of JKLF were also arrested, a JKLF source said. He added that many activists from different districts have also been arrested.
Police also arrested Zaffar Akbar Bhat of Salvation Movement from his residence. Sources said that all the arrested separatists have been lodged in different police stations.
Sources said that police also arrested at least three Huriyat (G) activists from Handwara. Another activist has been arrested in Kulgam district. Some Hurriyat (G) activists who have arrested during the nocturnal raids have been identified as Saif-ul-din Mir Kupwara, Habib-Ullah Kupwara, Mohammad Amin Ahangar Shopian and Mohammad Amin Parray of Shopian.
They added that police made nocturnal raids on dozens of residences to arrest the separatist activists however majority of them was not at their homes as the recent floods have damaged their houses and they are putting up with their relatives at different areas.
A JKLF spokesman told Kashmir Monitor that in the nocturnal raids, police had arrested at least eight of its activists including Advocate Bashir Ahmad Bhat and Ghulam Rasool Dar.
Police also arrested Zaffar Akbar Bhat of Salvation Movement from his residence.
A Huriyat (G) spokesman told Kashmir Monitor that in all the districts of Valley, police had raided the residences of Huriyat (G) activists and had arrested several of them.
Police’s crackdown on separatists has come at such a time when Assembly elections are less than a month away and pro-freedom leaders have geared up their election boycott campaign.
Talking to Kashmir Monitor over phone, Huriyat (G) Chairman, Syed Ali Geelani termed the arrest spree as 'undemocratic' and Government’s frustration. “The arrest spree against pro-freedom leaders speaks about the Government’s frustration. Where is India's so called democracy," Geelani said.
He urged people to completely boycott the upcoming Assembly elections and said that after 1987, election boycott has become an important part of their struggle. “After 1987, election boycott has become an important part of our freedom struggle. The state of Jammu & Kashmir is a disputed territory and the elections in this region are not any democratic process but it is a military operation which is held to befool the Indian people and the international community,” Geelani told Kashmir Monitor.
Meanwhile, Shabir Ahmad Shah was to hold a meeting with Huriyat (G) on Thursday to chalk out a joint strategy regarding the poll boycott campaign.
Almost all the separatist camps have called for election boycott. Chairman Huriyat Conference (M), Mirwaiz Umar Farooq had termed the election process as 'futile' and had urged people to boycott the upcoming elections.
Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in five phases starting from November 25.
Meanwhile security forces burst teargas shells and resorted to lathicharge in the civil lines to disperse demonstrators, who were protesting against the arrest of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik and seven others on Thursday.
People mostly youngsters took to streets at Maisuma, the stronghold of JKLF, shouting antigovernment and police slogans.
The demonstrators, also raising pro freedom slogans, tried to march towards busy Budshah Chowk, security forces deployed in the area swung into action and stopped them.
However, when the demonstrators tried to break the police cordon, security forces resorted to lathicharge to disperse them which later proved ineffective as demonstrators continued stone pelting from narrow lanes and by lanes.
Later security forces burst teargas shells and diverted traffic to other routes.
A number of shops which were open later put their shutter down in view of the tense situation in the area.
However, situation in nearby Lal Chowk, the nerve centre of the city was normal. The JKLF chairman and seven other front leaders were taken into custody on Thursday.
SRINAGAR: Ahead of the assembly polls police on Thursday arrested at least ten separatist leaders including Mohammad Yasin Malik, Shabir Shah, Nayeem Khan and others and raided dozens of residences of separatist activists.
Police raided the house of Huriyat (JK) leaders, Shabir Shah, Nayeem Khan and Mohammad Yousuf Naqash and arrested them during the night. Police also arrested Moulana Mohammad Abdullah Tari of Democratic freedom Party. Earlier police arrested Huriyat (G) spokesman, Ayaz Akbar.
A police party raided the office of JKLF, at Abhi Guzar and arrested its Chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik. Advocate Bashir Ahmad Bhat and Ghulam Rasool Dar of JKLF were also arrested, a JKLF source said. He added that many activists from different districts have also been arrested.
Police also arrested Zaffar Akbar Bhat of Salvation Movement from his residence. Sources said that all the arrested separatists have been lodged in different police stations.
Sources said that police also arrested at least three Huriyat (G) activists from Handwara. Another activist has been arrested in Kulgam district. Some Hurriyat (G) activists who have arrested during the nocturnal raids have been identified as Saif-ul-din Mir Kupwara, Habib-Ullah Kupwara, Mohammad Amin Ahangar Shopian and Mohammad Amin Parray of Shopian.
They added that police made nocturnal raids on dozens of residences to arrest the separatist activists however majority of them was not at their homes as the recent floods have damaged their houses and they are putting up with their relatives at different areas.
A JKLF spokesman told Kashmir Monitor that in the nocturnal raids, police had arrested at least eight of its activists including Advocate Bashir Ahmad Bhat and Ghulam Rasool Dar.
Police also arrested Zaffar Akbar Bhat of Salvation Movement from his residence.
A Huriyat (G) spokesman told Kashmir Monitor that in all the districts of Valley, police had raided the residences of Huriyat (G) activists and had arrested several of them.
Police’s crackdown on separatists has come at such a time when Assembly elections are less than a month away and pro-freedom leaders have geared up their election boycott campaign.
Talking to Kashmir Monitor over phone, Huriyat (G) Chairman, Syed Ali Geelani termed the arrest spree as 'undemocratic' and Government’s frustration. “The arrest spree against pro-freedom leaders speaks about the Government’s frustration. Where is India's so called democracy," Geelani said.
He urged people to completely boycott the upcoming Assembly elections and said that after 1987, election boycott has become an important part of their struggle. “After 1987, election boycott has become an important part of our freedom struggle. The state of Jammu & Kashmir is a disputed territory and the elections in this region are not any democratic process but it is a military operation which is held to befool the Indian people and the international community,” Geelani told Kashmir Monitor.
Meanwhile, Shabir Ahmad Shah was to hold a meeting with Huriyat (G) on Thursday to chalk out a joint strategy regarding the poll boycott campaign.
Almost all the separatist camps have called for election boycott. Chairman Huriyat Conference (M), Mirwaiz Umar Farooq had termed the election process as 'futile' and had urged people to boycott the upcoming elections.
Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir will be held in five phases starting from November 25.
Meanwhile security forces burst teargas shells and resorted to lathicharge in the civil lines to disperse demonstrators, who were protesting against the arrest of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik and seven others on Thursday.
People mostly youngsters took to streets at Maisuma, the stronghold of JKLF, shouting antigovernment and police slogans.
The demonstrators, also raising pro freedom slogans, tried to march towards busy Budshah Chowk, security forces deployed in the area swung into action and stopped them.
However, when the demonstrators tried to break the police cordon, security forces resorted to lathicharge to disperse them which later proved ineffective as demonstrators continued stone pelting from narrow lanes and by lanes.
Later security forces burst teargas shells and diverted traffic to other routes.
A number of shops which were open later put their shutter down in view of the tense situation in the area.
However, situation in nearby Lal Chowk, the nerve centre of the city was normal. The JKLF chairman and seven other front leaders were taken into custody on Thursday.
