Chairman of the breakaway Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Shah Geelani was again put under house arrest on Thursday to prevent him from taking part in the Friday congregation at the holy Hazratbal shrine.
Geelani had given a 'Hazratbal chalo' call to offer special prayers for the 'victory' in the Shri Amarnath Shrine Board forest land issue.
After he gave slip to the police and led two demonstrations in the old city and Jamia Masjid area against diversion of the forest land to the SASB, authorities this time did not take any chance and put him under house arrest on Wednesday evening, about 40 hours before the Friday prayers.
A spokesman of the HC, Aiyaz Akbar, told UNI that a large number of police personnel were deployed outside the residence of the Hurriyat chairman.
Geelani and chairman of the other faction of the HC, Mirwaiz Moulvi Omar Farooq, were scheduled to address the congregation besides offering 'fateha' to all those who died during the clashes, particularly in the recent agitation against land allotment.
He also expressed displeasure over bursting of crackers after the government revoked the land diversion order to the SASB.
More from rediff