Shutdown in Kashmir to protest curbs on Geelani in Delhi
By IANSTuesday, February 22, 2011
SRINAGAR - A shutdown called by the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference Tuesday to protest alleged curbs on separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani in Delhi affected normal life in the Kashmir Valley.
The hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference said in a statement that Delhi Police had barred its chairman Syed Ali Geelani from leaving New Delhi. Geelani is in the Indian capital for treatment and was scheduled to return to Srinagar Tuesday.
Shops, businesses, public transport in the Jammu and Kashmir summer capital of Srinagar and other places were closed.
However, private transport was seen plying on the streets of Srinagar where the authorities deployed additional police and paramilitary Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) to maintain law and order.
Delhi Police said Geelani has been asked to indicate a “convenient date and time when he could meet an officer investigating the case of hawala in which his close aide was arrested last year”.
Security is also tight in other towns, police said.
