Srinagar, December 17 (KNO) : The protest march towards Badami Bagh Army base camp here called by the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) was on Monday foiled the authorities by imposing strict restrictions in Srinagar areas and also sealing all the entry and exit points leading to Army base camp.
Witnesses told KNO that strict restrictions were imposed by the district administration for the second consecutive day in Srinagar’s Old City areas here to thwart any protest against the civilian killings called by the JRL. However, the entry and exit points of the roads leading to Army’s base camp here in Badami Bagh were sealed by the authorities as a large contingent of police were deployed on Gupkar-Pantha Chowk road stretch to foil any possible protest march today.
The traffic was not allowed to ply on Pantha Chowk-Sonwar- Dalgate road stretch, officials said, adding that no traffic was allowed to ply on Gupkar road stretch from Grand Place crossing. Besides, Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was on Monday after he defied the house detention and tried to march towards Badami Bagh here.
Mirwaiz who was placed under house arrest tried to defy the house detention and marched towards Badami Bagh here. However, a large contingent of police deployed outside his Nigeen residence foiled his attempt and detained him. Prior to his detention, Mirwaiz while commenting upon the Pulwama killings said that “forces have become a killing machine.”
Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief, Muhammad Yasin Malik who had gone into hiding since Saturday was also detained by the police after he tried to a lead a protest march from Maisuma towards Badami Bagh Army cantonment here against the civilian killings in Pulwama on last Saturday. Malik, wearing shroud, reading slogans appeared in Maisuma locality today along with scores of his amalgam activists and locals, tried to march towards Badami Bagh.
The march towards Badami Bagh Army cantonment was called by the Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) comprising Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik. Amid pro-freedom sloganeering, Malik along with scores of JKLF activists and locals tried to march towards Badami Bagh from Maisuma bund during which a large contingent of police and paramilitary troopers already deployed in the area swung into action and detained him.
Soon after his detention, minor clashes take place in the area after youth started pelting stones to the forces who in retaliation used tear gas canisters to disperse them. Witnesses said that clashes also erupted at several places including Mahjoor Nagar, Bemina, Nai Sadak, Kani Kadal, Nowgam and others.
They said that forces also resorted to tear smoke shells and pepper gas to disperse the youth who were throwing stones on them. Pertinently, the train services in the Valley remained suspended for the third straight as ‘a security reason’. Moreover, the mobile internet services also remained suspended for the third consecutive day.(KNO)