Headlines
Masrat Alam to be jailed, says Rajnath after clashes in Srinagar
Srinagar/New Delhi, April 17
Over two dozen
people, including security personnel, were injured in Srinagar on Friday
when protesters fought a pitched battle with security forces after
Friday prayers over separatist leader Masrat Alam's detention. Union
Home Minister Rajnath Singh said Alam will be sent to jail.
The
Congress said the state government had acted only after the issue was
raised by the media, while the BJP -- an alliance partner of the PDP
that governs the state -- said anybody involved in anti-national
activities should be punished.
Srinagar witnessed violence when
stone-pelting youth battled the security forces in the Jamia Masjid area
at Nowhatta in the old city.
Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, who heads the
moderate group of the Hurriyat conference, delivered the Friday sermon
at the Jamia Masjid and criticised the state government for keeping
separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani and Alam under house arrest.
He demanded their immediate release.
Alam
had led a reception rally on April 15 for Geelani who returned to the
Valley after spending more than three months in New Delhi for health
reasons. Youth surrounding Alam displayed Pakistani flags at the rally
and shouted Pro-Pakistan slogans.
Rajnath Singh on Friday said that those indulging in sedition will be dealt with sternly.
He told reporters in Kanpur: "Yes he (Masrat) will go to jail... Wait and watch what happens."
"I
want to assure the country that the government will not compromise on
the unity and integrity of the country. Sedition will not be forgiven,"
said the home minister.
In New Delhi, Congress general secretary
Shakeel Ahmad criticised the state government for what he said was
delayed action on the issue.
"The BJP-PDP coalition government
took action against Alam, who participated in anti-India rally in the
state, only after media made a hue and cry about it," Ahmad told IANS.
"The
act of separatists is totally unacceptable and the state government
should have taken care in a matter like this," he said, asking why they
were given permission to hold the rally.
Minister of state in the
Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh said that the National
Democratic Alliance (NDA) government at the centre follows a "zero
tolerance policy against terrorism and separatism".
He added:
"Nobody can get away with this impression that merely for existence in
the governance or in a coalition, the BJP would be ready to compromise
on any of these principles."
Ram Madhav, BJP national general secretary, said anybody involved in anti-country activities should be punished.
Alam
was taken into preventive custody on Thursday to maintain law and order
in the Valley, the police said. He had, however, not been served any
fresh detention order under the Public Safety Act (PSA) nor was he
presented before a magistrate for seeking remand by the police.
Both
Alam and Geelani were taken into preventive custody in order to prevent
their announced participation in a separatist rally at south Kashmir's
Tral town in Pulwama district on Friday, police said. There was tight
security at Tral throughout the day.
Friday was a day of high
drama as Alam was first shifted to Shaheedgunj police station in
Srinagar in the morning and later to Humhama police station in central
Badgam district.
Alam had also been taken into preventive custody
a few days back at Awantipora town when he was on his way to Tral town
where a youth had been killed in firing by security forces. He was later
released.
The Jammu and Kashmir government had released Alam
from preventive detention on March 7 after more than four years. He was
arrested during the 2010 unrest in the Kashmir Valley and accused of
inciting youth during the unrest, leading to clashes between mobs and
security forces in which at least 112 people were killed.