Two unidentified bikers were detained by police in old Srinagar on Friday for carrying Pakistani flags even as authorities foiled an attempt by protesters to exhibit solidarity with JNU students for their pro-Kashmiri demonstrations.
Senior separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq showered encomiums on non-Kashmiri students for rising against the “Government of India’s policies in Kashmir”.
Sources said that a group of youth attempted to hold demonstrations in Nowhatta area of old Srinagar after the conclusion of Friday’s congregational prayers. They shouted slogans favouring Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru who was executed in Delhi’s Tihar Jail on February 9, 2013.
The protesters were praising students of Delhi’s Jawahirlal Nehru University for holding a seminar on Guru’s execution and their favour to Kashmir’s demand for independence. “Thank You JNU” and “Afzal is our Hero”, were two banners spotted with the protesters, sources said.
The pro-Pakistan and anti-India demonstration in old city parts on Fridays is not a new phenomenon. However, this time the protesters exhibited solidarity with the non-Kashmiri students who held demonstrations outside Kashmir.
Police swung into action and chased away the unidentified protesters who pelted stones on security forces causing disruption in the area for some time.
The protesters were on same page with Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the leader of his faction of Hurriyat Conference who was barred from addressing the weekly sermon in the Central Mosque.
In a statement Mirwaiz was all praise for Indian University students for favouring Kashmniri people’s “right to self-determination”.
“It is heartening to see that many youth in India have risen up to challenge the narrow-mindset and unrealistic outlook of the ruling dispensation at New Delhi”, Mirwaiz said referring to recent demonstrations in JNU and Jadhavpur University.
He said the Indian youth understand that there were many issues such as Kashmir which need to be addressed on the “principles of justice”.
He said the youth in India have acknowledged that Kashmir resolution was not possible unless the entire perspective of the issue was understood. Mirwaiz condemned the arrest of JNUSU President Kanaihya Kumar and SAR Geelani.