Dukhtaran-e-Millat protests Asiya's re-arrest in Srinagar

Srinagar: Activists of the hardline women's separatist outfit Dukhtaran-e-Millat (DeM) on Thursday protested the re-arrest of its chairperson Asiya Andrabi by police on charges of indulging in unlawful activities.

Over two dozen activists of the DeM (daughters of the faith) held protests here to demand the release of Andrabi, who was arrested on September 18 from her Soura residence and is currently lodged in women's police station at Rambagh here.

"A case has been registered under the Unlawful Activities Act against Asiya Andrabi through an FIR 87/2015 at Soura police station," a senior police official told IANS here.

The outfit activists said that a court had granted bail and ordered the release of Andrabi in a case related to hoisting of a Pakistani flag on August 14 and addressing a rally of the Hafiz Sayeed-led Jamaat-ud-Dawah in Pakistan via phone last month.

"She (Andrabi) is not keeping good health and instead of releasing her, police re-arrested her in connection with an FIR numbered 57/2009 registered at Nowhatta police station," Nahida Nasreen, who was leading the DeM protest, said.

The DeM activists also denounced the beef ban in the state and termed it a "part of Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led Bharatiya Janata Party's Hindutva agenda".

"It is permitted for Muslims to slaughter bovine animals and we will never accept this beef ban. Why not ban liquor in Muslim-majority Jammu and Kashmir? Instead of banning liquor, police is protecting wine shops here," Nasreen said.

A large number of police personnel including women cops, were deployed during the protest as a precautionary measure. However, the DeM activists dispersed peacefully after the protest.