Yasin accuses Delhi police of murderous assault on him

Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik on Monday accused the Delhi police of making a murderous assault on him in the national capital where he had proposed to hold a hunger strike to press for the return of Afzal Guru's mortal remains.

"I was dragged by my hair by the Delhi police from the car of my friends and forced into another vehicle. My friends were beaten and we were shifted to a police station near the airport. It was virtually a murderous attack on me," he told reporters.

Malik had planned a 48-hour hunger strike at the Jantar Mantar in Delhi on May three to press for the return of mortal remains of Parliament attack convict Guru, who was hanged in Tihar Jail, and JKLF founder Maqbool Bhat and quashing of life sentences awarded to Kashmiri prisoners.

However, he was detained by the Delhi police and put on a Srinagar-bound plane. Immediately after his arrival in the summer capital, he was taken into preventive custody and was lodged at Kothi Bagh police station here for two days.

Announcing fresh protest, the separatist leader said "we will hold hunger strike at Maisuma from May 24 to 26 in support of our demand for mortal remains of Guru and Bhat."

“The behaviour of the Delhi police was the worst form of hooliganism. They did not allow me to stage a peaceful protest even though I had sought permission from the concerned police station well in time," the JKLF chief said.

Malik said he was informed by the police that he could not hold protest at Jantar Mantar as there was a threat to his life and was asked to choose another location. "Instead of allowing me to stage the hunger strike at some other place, policemen assaulted me physically before taking me to a police station," he said.

The JKLF chief condemned the killing of Sarbjit Singh and the attack on Pakistani prisoner Sanaullah in a Jammu jail.

He asked both Indian and Pakistani governments to ensure safety of respective prisoners in their jails. Malik demanded shifting of Kashmiri prisoners lodged in different jails across the country back to the valley.

 "The families of Kashmiri prisoners are worried about their safety in view of the recent developments," he said.