Lal Chowk march foiled: Geelani, Mirwaiz put under house arrest

Srinagar, May 19:Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit, Joint Hurriyat leaders Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Syed Ali Shah Geelani were put under house arrest on Saturday as restrictions were imposed in parts of the city following their call to march towards Lal Chowk.
JKLF chairman Yasin Malik continues to be under police detention.
The police reached the Hyderpora residence of Geelani and Naseem Bagh area residence of Mirwaiz and conveyed to them the decision of the Jammu and Kashmir authorities of placing them under house arrest as a precautionary measure, officials said.
“As the authoritarian rulers once again belie any claim to democracy by imposing #HouseArrests #Curfew #Restrictions #Barricades #Blockades closure of educational institutions on the visit of Indian PM to valley, I will peacefully march towards #LalChowk at 11 am,” Mirwaiz tweeted this morning.
The Joint Hurriyat had given a call for a march to Lal Chowk, located in the heart of the city, to protest against the violence by forces in the valley.
During his Friday sermons, Mirwaiz had said that the one month suspension of anti-militancy operations in the Valley was not enough.
He had urged the Centre to revoke draconian laws such as the Armed Forces Special Powers Act and the Public Safety Act besides initiating a dialogue process with Pakistan and the people of Kashmir, especially the separatist groups.
Lal Chowk has been barricaded and all entry points sealed to prevent people from gathering in the area, the officials said.