Shrine fire: JK separatist groups call for strike

Srinagar: Several separatist groups today called for a general strike tomorrow over gutting of the 200-year-old shrine in Khanyar area of the city even as two separatist leaders were roughed up by protestors during their visit to the scene. The outfits, including Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF), and Kashmir High Court Bar Association (KHCBA) have separately called for a strike tomorrow. While JKLF called for strike as a mark of respect to the shrine, the advocates’ body called for a bandh to protest the “burning of the shrine” and failure of the government to protect the historic centre of religious importance and cultural heritage. [caption id=“attachment_356615” align=“alignleft” width=“380” caption=“PTI”]  [/caption] The lawyers also struck work in the courts today to express grief and register protest over the incident. Even the moderate faction of Hurriyat conference also supported the strike. Muttehada Majlis-e-Amal, a religious body headed by moderate Hurriyat Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, called for an impartial probe into the incident within one week so that facts about it can be made public. Meanwhile, moderate Hurriyat Conference leaders Shabir Ahmad Shah and Nayeem Ahmad Khan were roughed up by protestors at Khanyar as they were heading towards the gutted shrine complex. The leaders had to beat a hasty retreat from the spot. Shah, later, accused ruling National Conference of orchestrating the attack on him and Khan. However, the protestors did not even spare Law Minister Ali Mohammad Sagar, who is a local MLA and belongs to the National Conference, when he tried to visit the spot soon after the fire broke out. The minister’s motorcade was targeted by protestors by pelting stones. However, there was no damage reported. PTI