PPP Chief defied curfew, detained near Budshah Chowk

Heavy lathicharge on PPP activists in Maisuma.

Srinagar: Police resorted to heavy lathicharge in Maisuma today to disperse the People’s Political Party (PPP) activists who had assembled at the historic Maisuma Chowk to take out a procession to Dastgeer Sahab, Khanyar where they were supposed to offer Friday prayers.
Defying curfew and a heavy security build up, PPP Chairman Hilal War broke the cordon along with his associates and started marching towards the gutted shrine. However, police swung into action and stopped the procession, resorting to lathicharge and violence which injured dozens of PPP activists and injured Mr. War. Police had to face stiff resistance from a highly charged mob that was unwilling to budge and seemed adamant on making the Khanyar Chalo call successful. Amid violent chaos, people kept yelling pro-freedom and pro-Islam slogans.
Mr. War was forcibly taken by the police and paramilitary forces to his residence and put under house The Maisuma and adjoining areas were converted into a battle ground by the deployment of heavy contingent of Police and paramilitary forces but caravan of PPP freedom activists led by its chairman, ,Hilal Ahmad War were succeeded in defying the curfew orders . The Freedom activists of PPP were Chanting slogans …Chalo Chalo Khanyar Chalo…… We want Freedom…… Mujrimoon ko Paish karo and Islam zindabad.
It is pertinent to mention here that 28th and 29th strike call coupled with Khanyar Chalo call was given jointly by Grand Mufti of Kashmir and PPP Chairman.
The PPP Chairman has strongly condemned the police action terming it barbaric and an act of highhandedness against the followers of Islam. “Today’s police action is barbaric and it was totally uncalled for,” said War adding “It was a peaceful gathering and police had no reason to resort to the kind of violence they did. Police actions like these will force the youths of Kashmir to have a rethink on resorting to peaceful means of showing their dissent.” War said unleashing violence against people can force the youths to shun peaceful means and resort again to militancy and other means of violence. “Youths are being forced to think that peaceful means can’t work in Kashmir,” said War, “If the government thinks it can get away with hurting the sentiments of people and traumatising them, it is living in fool’s paradise.”(KMW NEWS)