By Bilal Furqani, Agence India Press
Srinagar: Syed Ali Shah Geelani, the Chairman of Hurriyat Conference (G), was taken into preventive custody from his Hyderpora residence, police officer told Agence India Press.
He has been shifted to the Humhama police station in central Budgam district.
The arrest comes two days before the Eid festival.
Geelani had said he would offer the congregational Eid prayers at Hazratbal in Srinagar and also challenged the authorities saying, ‘No power on earth can prevent me from offering the Eid prayers at Hazratbal.
“A police party reached his house and asked him to come along,” said a Hurriyat activist.
Prior to his arrest, Geelani addressed the press, saying “Resistance will continue until their demands are met.”
Hurriyat Conference which is currently running a “Quit Kashmir movement” has threatened to intensify agitation in the region after Eid-ul-Fitr if New Delhi fails to respond to its demands.
Earlier on September 1, Geelani set down five conditions before New Delhi to facilitate a review the Hurriyat Conference’s ongoing agitation programme.
“India must agree Jammu and Kashmir is an international dispute. It must begin the process of demilitarization. The prime minister must commit publicly and ensure no killings and arrests take place henceforth,” said Geelani.
“The process of punishing perpetrators of state violence should begin with conviction of troops responsible for the 65 killings. This should be followed by conviction of war criminals,” he added.
“If India and the Army are actually serious about solving the problem of Kashmir, so it is necessary that such violence should be stopped, and the Army should make government ready (agree) to demilitarize the area, so that there should be peace in the region,” he said.
He further stated that India should immediately and unconditionally release political prisoners, and withdraw cases against youth, which are pending in the courts for the past 20 years.
Geelani maintained that if India failed to fulfill the minimum necessary conditions required for peace and resolution, mass protests would be intensified.