Excelsior Correspondent
Srinagar, May 21: Curfew like restrictions were imposed in parts of Srinagar city today as police prevented a rally planned by Hurriyat Conference to commemorate death anniversaries of its two slain leaders while general strike paralysed life in rest of the Valley.
Restrictions under Section 144 CrPC were imposed in Srinagar’s seven police station areas to prevent a rally of Hurriyat Conference at Eidgah in Srinagar.
The areas where restrictions were imposed are Khanyar, Nowhatta, Safakadal, Rainawari, M R Gunj, Kralkhud and Zadibal.
Police and para-military Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) were deployed across old city to foil the Hurriyat Conference rally. Police erected steel barricades and laid concertina wire across the main roads in old city area to prevent any movement of people and traffic.
Elsewhere in the Valley, normal life was affected due to a strike called by the separatists to pay tributes to the slain separatist leaders Mirwaiz Mohammad Farooq and Abdul Gani Lone.
Schools, shops, business establishments and private offices remained closed due to the strike call. The attendance in Government offices was also thin.
While public transport was off the roads, some private vehicles could be seen on the roads where restrictions were not imposed.
Mirwaiz had called for a strike in Kashmir valley and appealed people to Assemble at Eidgah grounds in old city for a Hurriyat Conference rally. The call was given to commemorate the death anniversary of two slain leaders Mirwaiz Moulvi Mohammad Farooq and Abdul Gani Lone.
Mirwaiz Moulvi Mohammad Farooq, father of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was killed by gunmen on May 21 in 1990 inside his residence at Nageen and senior leader of Hurriyat Conference Abdul Gani Lone was killed on May 21, 2002 during anniversary function of Mirwaiz.
Authorities placed Mirwaiz under house arrest and several other separatist leaders were either detained or put under house arrest to foil the rally.
Mirwaiz condemned use of force to foil the Hurriyat Conference rally at Eidgah. He said that for the past five years Government has used intimidation and force to stop the May 21 and July 13 events.
Mirwaiz stated that Hurriyat leaders and workers including Moulana Abbas Ansari, Agha Syed Hassan Al Moosvi Al Safvi, Advocate Shahid-ul-Islam, and Syed Salim Geelani have been put under house arrest while as Mukhtar Ahmad Waza, Zaffar Akbar Bhat, Javaid Ahmad Mir, Hilal Ahmad War, Yasmeen Raja, Hakeem Abdul Rashid, Mushtaq Ahmad Sofi and others have been either put under house arrest or arrested on the occasion.
The separatist leader termed the nocturnal raids on houses of Hurriyat Conference leaders and activists, arrests and house arrests, declared and undeclared curfew, siege of historic Jamia Masjid, restrictions on roads leading to Eidgah, as a defeat of Government.
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