Geelani again under house arrest

Srinagar, Jul 3: Chairman of the breakaway Hurriyat Conference (HC) Syed Ali Shah Geelani was again put under house arrest to prevent him from taking part in the Friday congregation at holy Hazratbal shrine.

Mr Geelani had given a 'Hazratbal chalo' call to offer special prayers for the ''victory'' in the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board (SASB) forest land issue.

After he gave slip to the police and led two demonstrations in the old city and Jamia Masjid area against diversion of the forest land to the SASB, authorities this time did not take any chance and put him under house arrest last evening, about 40 hours before the Friday prayers.

Official sources confirmed that Mr Geelani was put under the house arrest since 1900 hrs yesterday.

A spokesman of the HC, Aiyaz Akbar, told UNI that a large number of police personnel were deployed outside the residence of Hurriyat chairman.

Mr Geelani and chairman of other faction of the HC, Mirwaiz Moulvi Omar Farooq, were scheduled to address the congregation besides offering 'fateha' to all those who died during in the struggle, particularly in the recent agitation against land allotment.

He also expressed displeasure over bursting of crackers after government revoked the land diversion order to SASB.

UNI