SRINAGAR: Under pressure from the Centre, the Jammu and Kashmir Police arrested separatist leader Masarat Alam, ahead of his rally in Tral town of Pulwama district on Friday.
Alam was arrested for having allegedly waved Pakistani flag to greet Hurriyat hardliner Syed Ali Shah Geelani during a rally in Srinagar some days back.
The police has taken him to Shaheedgunj police station in Srinagar  with reports suggesting that he will be imprisoned after being produced before a magistrate.The arrest comes a day after Alam and Geelani were placed under house arrest to prevent them from leading the rally in Tral.
Earlier today, Alam said that the J&K government doesn’t want the rally to be successful and that is why such an action has been taken. The separatist leader opined that the administration should follow the Hurriyat program.
“Let the government do whatever it wants to, the people are being stopped for attending that rally, but they will attend,” Alam said.Reacting to Alam’s arrest, BJP leader Siddharth Anand Singh justified J&K government’s move and said that nobody can raise pro-Pakistan slogans or waive Pakistan flags.
He further said that the government will continue to function keeping the national interest at the forefront.Union Minister Jitendra Singh and BJP leader said the action has been taken in accordance with the law. Alam has been arrested to uphold national interest and there will be no compromise on this front, Singh asserted.
Meanwhile, Congress leader Digvijay Singh took to his Twitter account and wrote: “Want to know under what sections Alam and Geelani have been arrested.”During Wednesday’s rally in Srinagar, Alam, released from jail last month, had praised founder of Lashker-e-Toiba terror outfit Hafiz Mohammed Sayeed and asked people to join hands with his outfit.
Alam was part of a procession that gathered in uptown Hyderpora locality of Srinagar city to welcome Geelani who returned to the Valley on Wednesday after remaining in New Delhi during winter for health reasons. Alam was flanked by youth, who raised pro-Pakistan and pro-freedom slogans and displayed Pakistan flags.
The police have registered an FIR against Geelani, Alam and another separatist leader from Hurriyat Conference under various sections of Ranbir Penal Code and Unlawful (Activities) Prevention Act.
“Geelani has been placed under house arrest. A posse of policemen has been deployed outside the Hurriyat chairman’s house at Hyderpora as a preventive measure to maintain law and order,” a police officer said, adding that similar restriction has been slapped on Alam.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq of the moderate Hurriyat Conference will also be not allowed to proceed towards Tral, police sources said. It was not clear whether he has also been placed under house arrest.
The government of Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed has already denied permission to separatists for Friday’s rally in Tral town of Pulwama district.
Sayeed on Thursday said that waving of Pakistani flags and raising pro-Pak slogans were “not acceptable” and “will not be tolerated”. The remarks came after the CM came under attack from all quarters including ally BJP for allowing hardline Hurriyat leader Geelani to hold a rally in Srinagar on Wednesday where pro-Pakistan slogans were shouted and Pakistani flags waved.
In view of the development, Sayeed had asked police to deny permission for Friday’s rally which was scheduled to be taken from Srinagar to Tral where a youth was killed allegedly by the Army while in their custody.
The police is also likely to enforce prohibitory orders under Section 144 to restrict movement of people.Geelani issued a statement late in the evening saying that he would not be cowed down by the state government.
Hours after the rally in Srinagar on Wednesday, Sayeed was called by Home Minister Rajnath Singh who asked him to take “immediate and stringent” action against the law breakers.Sayeed’s decision to release Alam had attracted a lot of flak both from the opposition and his ruling ally Bharatiya Janata Party.
The development even rocked the Parliament in New Delhi where the union Home Minister Rajnath Singh had to make a statement to cool tempers over the top separatist leader’s release.