Srinagar: The authorities on Wednesday sought to justify continuous siege of historic Jamia Masjid in old city here for Friday prayers as inspector general of police, Kashmir SM Sahai termed it necessary to prevent violence.
Responding to a query from a student during a seminar—Youth Media and Democracy, the top police officer said that siege was warranted to check violence. “The place should be kept for religious purposes and not politics,†he said.
Without naming Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, S M Sahai said, “We will that allow any violence at the expense of allowing prayers of a single person in Jamia Masjid.
“After the prayers, there are often incidents of stone pelting, protests and rallies. We will not allow it to happen for a single person.â€
Referring to violence on Eid-Ul-Fitr-, he said, “Permission was sought for allowing prayers on the Eid day but what happened later is before all of us.â€
He said that there was no ban on prayers in Jamia but at the same time, “we will not allow any politics in the grand mosque.â€
The seminar, organized by CRPF at B.Ed College here, was attended besides IGP SM Sahai, Deputy Commissioner Srinagar, Mehraj Ahmad Kakroo, SSP Srinagar Ashiq Bukhari and vice chancellor of Kashmir University Professor Reyaz Ahmad Panjabi.
On death of 112 civilians, allegedly at the hands of police and paramilitary CRPF, during the summer unrest, SM Sahai acknowledged that there was use of excessive force at some places. “Now these things have happened but it would have been better had it not happened at all,†he added.
The IGP said that the situation was fast returning to normalcy in the Kashmir Valley after tumultuous summer this year.
“We have been taking necessary measures to ensure that life and property of the people is safe and this stands the reason we have been arresting the trouble makers.â€
The cop claimed that none of the PSA detainee was a student. “All those who have been booked under PSA are unemployed youth not students,†he said.
The police cop also blamed Pakistan of instigation violence in Kashmir while as he defended the deployment of about six lakh troops in the state. “We have a long border with the Pakistan in Kashmir and it warrants the deployment of strengthened forces,†he said, a Correspondent present in the seminar said.
Speaking on the occasion, DC Srinagar Mehraj Ahmad Kakroo said that only those persons were arrested who created violence. “Impression is being given as if entire population has been arrested,†he said, adding, “The arrests are not wanton but only those persons are detained who are involved in violence.â€
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