Haryana man detained for chanting ‘Bharat Mata Ki Jai’ at Srinagar’s Lal Chowk

A man from Haryana, claiming to be an activist of the Akali Dal, was Saturday taken into preventive custody by police at Lal Chowk here as he was shouting slogans. Deepak Sharma was taken into custody near the iconic Clock Tower at Lal Chowk in the early hours as he was shouting slogans like 'Bharat Mata ki jai', a police official said.

He said Sharma was taken into custody for his own safety and to maintain law and order.

"Sharma claimed to be affiliated with the Akali Dal. He also said that he wanted to hoist the national flag atop the Ghanta Ghar (clock tower)," the official said.

The Kashmir valley is tense after the government ordered a swoop on separatists and Jamaat-e-Islami Jammu Kashmir cadres on Friday night.

So far, over 150 persons have been detained, including JKLF chairman Mohammad Yasin Malik and chief of Jamaat Abdul Hamid Fayaz.