Police on Friday swooped on a group of separatist Hurriyat Conference leaders who attempted to hold protests against Mumbai blasts convict Yakub Memon’s hanging and continued detention of Kashmiri prisoners. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, who heads the moderate faction of Hurriyat, described Memon’s hanging as “extremely unfortunate and murder of justice and humanity.”
A group of Hurriyat leaders led by former JKlF commander Javed Mir appeared in the Residency Road area on Friday morning and began shouting separatist slogans. They demanded release of Kashmiri political prisoners and alleged that the Government of India was selectively executing Muslim convicts like Yakub Memon.
Police prevented their march and put barricades when they attempted to walk through the busy Residency Road. Mir and his associates were later bundled into police vehicles and lodged at nearby Kothibagh police station. Mir was later shifted to hospital where he underwent a surgery to fix his left thumb he broke in scuffle with police.
The separatist leaders demanded release of Kashmiri prisoners lodged in jails within and outside the State of Jammu and Kashmir. “Yakub Memon was hanged for being a Muslim. Why the same punishment is not being handed over to the killers of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi and former Punjab Chief Minister Beant Singh,” Mir told reporters. The separatist leaders said the selective execution of Afzal Guru and Memon is indicative of a mindset that shields demolishers of Babri Masjid and criminals of 2002 Gujarat pogrom.
Mirwiaz Umar Farooq, who delivered his weekly sermon at historic Jamia Masjid also condemned Memon’s execution. Talking to reporters after the conclusion of prayers, Mirwaiz regretted that Muslims alone were being punished in India. “Why only Muslims are brought in the purview of satisfying the collective Indian conscience,” he questioned.
“Why the criminals of Gujarat, Babri Masjid (demolition), Malegaon, and Mumbai riots are not brought to bookIJ This indicates that a particular class is subjected to judicial injustices under a proper planning,” Mirwaiz said.
Hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani also lashed out at the Government for executing Yaqub Memon. Accusing the judiciary for using different yardsticks, Geelani said the people involved in Samjhauta Express, Mecca Masjid, Malegaon blasts and Gujarat riots have been granted bail.
Earlier on Thursday, police took legislator and Chief of mainstream Awami Ittehad Party, Engineer Sheikh Rashid into custody when he attempted to observe a sit-in at Clock Tower in lal Chowk area of Srinagar, a few hours after Memon was put to gallows in Nagpur jail. Rashid claimed that Memon’s hanging was not justified. He was released later.
Meanwhile, hundreds of students attended the gaibana nimaz-e-jinaza (funeral prayers in absentia) of Yaqub Memon and former chief of Taliban regime in Afghanistan Mulla Muhammad Umar, who was reported to have died of illness in Karachi few years back.
leader of the all-women Dukhtaran-e-Millat group, Asiya Andrabi also held a protest demonstration in Nowhatta quarter of old Srinagar city. “Muslims are not safe in any part of India. To turn their dream of making India a Hindu Rashtra, Muslims are being sent to gallows,” she alleged. The women protesters were carrying placards with pictures of Maqbool Bhat, Afzal Guru and Yaqub Memon. “The aim of Hindutva parties is to slaughter Muslims whether he is a Kashmiri or an Indian,” she said.
Interestingly, the mainstream political parties including ruling People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and Opposition National Conference (NC) maintained a measured silence on the Yaqub Memon hanging.
