Srinagar turns into fortress ahead of PM Modi's visit: Over 200 arrested ahead of Saturday rally

Srinagar: Separatist Hurriyat Conference leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was today placed under house arrest while several others were taken into preventive custody to foil their plan of holding a rally parallel to that of Prime Minister Narendra Modi here on Saturday. Independent MLA Sheikh Abdul Rashid was also detained on Wednesday in the Kupwara district while he was on his way to Srinagar after campaigning for the boycott of the Modi rally, said Rashid’s Awami Ittehad Party (AIP) said. [caption id=“attachment_2477418” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Sheikh Abdul Rashid, who was arrested ahead of PM Narendra Modi’s rally on Saturday. AFP[/caption] Farooq was placed under house arrest on Wednesday morning, police officials said. They said second rung leaders like Abdul Manan Bukhari of Hurriyat and Noor Mohammad Kalwal of JKLF were taken into preventive custody. Over 200 people including more than 100 separatist leaders and activists have been taken into preventive custody to ensure that the Prime Minister’s public rally on Saturday is carried out without any dificulties. As for Rashid, AIP spokesman Inam Un Nabi said, “He was detained by a police party at Watergam while he was on way to Srinagar from the frontier district.” He said the legislator held a series of public meetings in Kupwara, advising people not to attend the prime minister’s public rally as a protest against the “high handedness” of the state. The spokesman said Rashid was scheduled to visit Anantnag district of south Kashmir on Thursday in connection with his campaign. He added that the AIP will welcome the Prime Minister by hoisting black flags during his visit to the state. Police refused to comment on the detention of the legislator. Meanwhile, hardline Hurriyat Conference leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani has called for a parallel rally on Saturday. Geelani’s call has been backed by almost all separatist groups of the valley. Modi will be visiting Kashmir for a day, during which he will address a rally at Sher-e-Kashmir Cricket Stadium. PTI