Srinagar, September 2: Jammu and Kashmir Police on Thursday said that restriction on the movement of people and Internet blockade will continue on Friday in the wake of death of senior Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani who passed away at his residence last night.
“Today the situation across the valley remained peaceful and no untoward incident was reported,” said a police spokesman, in a statement.
He said some vested interests tried to spread baseless rumours about forcible burial of SAS [Syed Ali Shah] Geelani by Police. “Such baseless reports which are as a part of false propaganda to incite violence are totally refuted by the police. As a matter of fact, Police instead facilitated in bringing the dead-body from house to graveyard as there were apprehensions of miscreants taking undue advantage of the situation. The relatives of the deceased participated in the burial,” he added, in the statement, issued in the evening.
“IGP Kashmir Vijay Kumar thanked and appreciated the co-operation of the general public in maintaining the peaceful situation throughout the valley which defeated the ill designs of inimical elements who are hell-bent to disturb the otherwise peaceful atmosphere in the valley.”
“It is also pertinent to mention that similar restrictions and internet shutdown will continue tomorrow. We shall review the situation tomorrow afternoon and take further course of action.”
“General public is requested not to pay heed to the rumours being spread by the anti-national elements especially across the border who are trying to take undue advantage of the situation and to disturb the peaceful atmosphere in [the] valley,” he added, in the statement.
Geelani was buried on the intervening night of Wednesday and Thursday in a quiet funeral organised by authorities, amid tight security and restrictions with mobile connectivity by and large snapped in Kashmir.
The 92-year-old was buried at a mosque near his residence.
Geelani, who spearheaded separatist politics for over three decades in Jammu and Kashmir, died after a prolonged illness on Wednesday night at his residence in Hyderpora on the outskirts of Srinagar city.