Syed Ali Geelani, the hardline separatist leader and chairman of the breakaway Hurriyat group, was placed under house arrest here on Friday.
A police officer came to Geelani’s Hyderpora residence in the morning and told him he cannot move out on Friday, Ayaz Akbar, spokesman for Geelani’s group, told IANS. “The police have been deployed outside his residence. They are not allowing anyone to leave Geelani’s residence though nobody is being prevented from calling on him, he added.
A senior police officer said: “In order to maintain law and order, Geelani has been told that he cannot leave his residence. It is in the interest of the prevailing peace in the city.” Authorities maintain that the separatist leader has been making inflammatory statements after on Friday prayers, which invariably result in violence.
“Wherever he goes to address post on Friday prayer assemblies, youth are incited to violence. This needs to be prevented to protect civilian life and property,” the officer said. No restrictions have been imposed on any other separatist leader.