In order to scuttle the separatist protests and the march to commemorate the 1931 Martyr's day commemoration in Srinagar, authorities have placed almost all the senior separatist leaders under house arrest and decided to impose restrictions in old city areas in Srinagar on Wednesday.
According to police sources, restrictions would be strictly enforced in areas falling under five police stations of Nowhatta, Safakadal, Rainawari, Khanyar and MRGunj on Wednesday. Sources said that restrictions under Section 144 would be strictly enforced in Srinagar on Wednesday.
Senior separatist leaders including Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Shabir Ahmad Shah, Nayeem Ahmad Khan, professor Abdul Gani Bhat and Bilal Gani Lone were placed under house arrest by the authorities this afternoon.
The hard-line separatist leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani has also been placed under house arrest.
The moderate All Parties Hurriyat Conference headed by Mirwaiz Moulvi Umar Farooq had called for a march to martyrs graveyard in the Khawaja Bazzar area of the city on Wednesday.
It was on this day in 1931 that 21 Kashmiris were killed while protesting against the autocratic rule of then Maharaja outside the Srinagar central jail.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah is also scheduled to pay floral tributes at the graveyard.
Omar has paid rich tributes to the martyrs describing them heroes of the 'struggle against suppression and totalitarianism'.
In a message on the eve of martyrs' day, the chief minister said that 'the sacrifice of the martyrs to free the society from autocracy and lay edifice for democracy and human dignity is one of the richest chapters of the history of Jammu and Kashmir'.
