India News and Travel Times Provides India-centric and other News and Features

Separatist leaders of the hardline faction of the Hurriyat Conference on Tuesday called for a shutdown to protest against building of roads leading to the holy shrine of Amarnath. It has also planned top organise mass demo-rallies against the Centre's intention to reinforce the army through the Amarnath Yatra. Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who has emerged as the leading face of the recent cycle of street violence, had earlier alleged that increasing number of Hindu pilgrims visiting the holy Amarnath cave was a plot to perpetuate the army's influence in the state. Geelani also targeted the Supreme Court's directive to construct a road to the shrine, unlike the prevailing cross-country trek so as to prevent deaths of pilgrims. Abdul Hamid, a resident, told reporters that the state was observing a shutdown over the construction of permanent roads towards the shrine. “The whole of Kashmir is observing shutdown as a mark of a protest by Syed Ali Shah Geelani, a leader of Hurriyat Conference against the construction of road leading to the Hindu pilgrimage of Amarnath Yatra,” Hamid said. In an attempt to avert any untoward situation, the authorities have deployed police and paramilitary forces at vital places across the city.

Hurriyat calls for shutdown against road plan for Amarnath