NC leaders try to march towards Rajbhawan, detained

Several National Conference leaders were Tuesday taken into preventive custody as they tried to march towards Rajbhawan in the summer capital of Jammu and Kashmir to protest against the civilian deaths in a blast at an encounter site in Kulgam on Sunday.

Led by party general secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar, National Conference leaders and workers took out a protest rally from Nawa-i-Subah party headquarters and headed towards Rajbhawan, officials said.

The officials said the police prevented the protestors from marching beyond Church Lane and asked them to disperse. However, the National Conference leaders insisted on taking the rally further.

Police swung into action and took several of the NC leaders and workers including MLA from Eidgah Mubarak Gul and former Mayor of Srinagar Municipal Corporation Salman Sagar into preventive custody.

The National Conference had organised the rally to protest against the death of seven civilians in a blast at the encounter site in Kulgam on Sunday. Three militants were killed in the encounter.

Meanwhile, separatist Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was also taken into preventive custody as he tried to defy house arrest orders.

The Mirwaiz was taken to the Nigeen police station after he tried to take out a march to Lal Chowk where separatist groups had called for a peaceful sit-in.