J&K cops crack down on separatists ahead of polls

Fearing that separatists may create trouble ahead of and during Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, police on Thursday rounded up dozens of separatist leaders and their workers in Srinagar and other districts of the Valley.

Reports said police launched a massive hunt for the separatist leaders here, detaining them at various police stations ahead of the Assembly elections, slated to be held from November 25. The separatists have announced the launch of the poll boycott campaign.

Yasin Malik held

Reports said pro-independence JKLF chief Mohammad Yasin Malik was arrested along with several other leaders of the party on Thursday here. Similarly, several leaders of both hardline and moderate factions of Hurriyat Conference were also taken into “preventive custody”.

Kashmir IGP Abdul Gani Mir said no one will be allowed to disrupt the poll process. “Preventive action has been taken and strong action shall be initiated against all those elements who try to intimidate people,” Mir told reporters. 

The separatists said that for holding “name sake” elections, a crackdown has been launched in flood hit Kashmir. “Both election and boycott are the democratic right of every citizen and the Indian constitution also mentions this. But the enforcing agencies are doing contrary to that and they are using undemocratic and uncivilised ways for their personal gains,” hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani said.