Geelani and Shabir Shah under house arrest

Srinagar, Apr 22 : Chairman of the breakaway Hurriyat Conference (HC) Syed Ali Shah Geelani and Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (DFP) chief Shabir Ahmad Shah were today put under house arrest to prevent them from addressing anti-election meetings in three Assembly constituencies in Baramulla district where bypoll will be held on Monday.

Official sources said Mr Geelani was put under house since early this morning.

Police personnel have been deployed outside Mr Geelani's Hyderpora residence and he was not allowed to move out, spokesman of the HC Aiyaz Akbar told UNI.

Mr Geelani was to address a press conference at HC Rajbagh headquarter besides addressing anti-election rallies.

He had addressed several anti-election rallies in all the three constituencies and appealed to people to stay away from the process.

Official sources said police personnel were deployed outside the Rawalpora residence of Mr Shah since early this morning.

Mr Shah told UNI that a senior police officer informed him that he had been put under house arrest.

''You cannot leave your house, the officer had said.

The DFP chief said he was scheduled to address anti-election rallies in all the three constituencies of Sangrama, Rafiabad and Pattan.

''I was not allowed to leave my house yesterday as a large number of police personnel were deployed there,'' he said adding police personnel were withdrawn at 2200 hours last night. However, they again came today and were not allowing me to leave, he added.

Mr Shah addressed several anti-election meetings since the election notification was issued on March 30.

He said election or selection will not help to reach anywhere.

''We are opposing election because this is a futile exercise, he said,'' adding elections are being held in Jammu and Kashmir since 1947 without making any breakthrough on the Kashmir issue.

UNI