SrinagarA top Jama’at-e-Islami leader who fulfilled ‘last wish’ of slain Kashmir University professor turned militant by leading his funeral prayers has been booked under draconian Public Safety Act (PSA) by Srinagar district administration. TeH senior leader and district president Srinagar Mohammad Rafiq Shah (40) alias Owasi son of Mohammad Yasin Shah of Shuhama Nagbal was also booked and lodged in Jammus Kotebhalwal Jammu.
Bashir Ahmed Lone, who heads Jama’at’s Srinagar chapter, had addressed crowds at the funeral of Dr Mohmmad Rafi on last Sunday after later was killed in a gun battle with Indian armed forces in Shopian along with four other militants. The slain professor had asked his father that Lone should lead his funeral prayers.
Lone, however, was arrested by police on the pretext of giving “hate speech”. Police did not explain further. But participants at the 36-hour-old militants funeral insist that Lone ‘enforced discipline’ during the funeral prayers of Rafi in which tens of thousands of people took part.
“There were some miscreants who had tried to hijack the funeral and wrap slain professors body in Daesh flag but Lone resisted the move and managed to contain the situation as there was widespread opposition to their move,” said Mushtaq Ganaie from Beehama.
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Lone was arrested on Thursday and has been booked under PSA along with Muhammad Rafiq Shah of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat.
Shah was released from Tihar Jail after 12 years in 2017. The duo, reports said, have been shifted to Kotbalwal jail.
A video clip which is making rounds on the social media, Lone is heard arguing on the basis of holy Qu’ran and Hadees that the groups like “ISIS have no place in Kashmir”.
The comments were made by Lone after the pro-Daesh elements created scenes during the funeral of another militant, Essa Fazili, the engineer turned militant in March this year.
Meanwhile, condemning the slapping of PSA on two senior leaders, a youth leader of Tehreek-e-Hurriyat (TeH) Umar Adil Dar termed the government action as “Jungle Raj”.
“We are not even allowed to have Taziyat (mourning) of our own people who are being killed. It is the height of inhumanity,” Dar said.
What else can we expect from this police state, he said, adding that the senior leaders had gone to Ganderbal to offer funeral prayers for KU assistant professor. Is this humanity? The pro-freedom leaders are even barred from participating in the funeral prayers, Dar added.
In February last year, Mohammad Rafiq Shah was released after languishing in Tihar jail for 12 years. He was declared innocent by the court.
Assistant Professor Dr Mohammad Rafi was among the five militants including Hizb Commander Sadam Padder who were killed in Badigam village of Shopian district of south Kashmir on Sunday last. Six civilians protesting near the gunfight site were killed during the clashes in forces action and nearly 60 others suffered injuries.
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