Mirwaiz Returns, Put Under House Arrest

SRINAGAR: The chairman of the Hurriyat (M), Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, was placed under house arrest here on Thursday shortly after he returned from Delhi, his alliance said.

Confined to his quarters in New Delhi till yesterday after the execution of Muhammad Afzal Guru, the Mirwaiz was taken into custody by the police on landing at the Srinagar airport, it said.

He was taken to the Nigeen police station, and later put under house arrest at his residence, a Hurriyat (M) spokesman said, describing the government move as despotic democracy.

First, they put the Mirwaiz under house arrest in New Delhi immediately on the execution of Muhammad Afzal Guru, and confiscated his phones to cut him off from the masses in this hour of calamity, he said.

After his return from Delhi, a heavy contingent of the police took him into custody, and placed him under house arrest, he said.

This is the worst form of despotic and totalitarian democracy, he said.

According to the spokesman, the Mirwaiz was to chair a key joint session of the Hurriyat (M)s executive and joint councils today, and later visit Sopore to pay condolence to the family of Muhammad Afzal Guru.

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