Srinagar, Feb 02: Hurriyat-M chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and former legislator Er Rasheed were placed under house arrest on Saturday, a day ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s scheduled visit to Jammu and Kashmir.
The Mirwaiz has been put under house-arrest for maintaining law and order as separatists have called for a complete shutdown on Sunday, officials said.
A posse of police personnel has been deployed outside the main gate of his residence in Nigeen area of the city.
The Mirwaiz said on Twitter that the government had gotten into “panic mode” ahead of the Prime Minister’s visit.
“Ahead of @narendramodi visit, panic buttons pressed by the authoritarian state and control tightened as searches and CASO conducted even in Lal Chowk! Today morning I was put under #HouseArrest !” he tweeted.
Former MLA Langate, Shiekh Abdul Rasheed (Er. Rasheed) was also placed under house arrest on Saturday to prevent him from leading a march against the PM Modi’s Kashmir visit, said his spokesman.
Condemning the detention, he said that New Delhi cannot hide its “failures” and mislead the world community over its “atrocities on people of Jammu & Kashmir.”
He said a police party led by SDPO Saddar raided Er. Rasheed’s residence and “forced” him to accompany him to police station Rajbagh. “…but after Er. Rasheed’s denial and heated arguments, police party left his residence and placed him under house detention,” he said.
The spokesman said that the party was committed to fight for the rights of people of Jammu & Kashmir.
“By disallowing peaceful protest on 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,” he said.
The spokesman claimed that the state is virtually under direct command and control of army, police and other security agencies.
“While much hype is being given to Prime Minister’s visit but the fact is that entire Kashmir is looking like a battlefield and life of jail-returned militants, pro-resistance leaders and common men is being made a hell. Even the bikes are being seized at various check posts without a reason and the ugly face of state is visible everywhere,” he said.
Rasheed had earlier this week announced that his party will receive PM Modi with black flags in Srinagar to protest against New Delhi’s “colonial mindset” and “looting of the state’s resources”.
Modi is scheduled to visit all three regions of the state on Sunday during which he will lay foundation stones for several projects.
