Militants fired a grenade at the residence of the moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, on the outskirts of Srinagar.
SRINAGAR: The war of words between Hurriyat hawks and doves took a turn for the worse on Monday when militants fired a grenade at the residence of the moderate Hurriyat Conference chairman, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, in the posh Nigeen area on the outskirts of Srinagar.
Deputy inspector general of police, central Kashmir range, Farooq Ahmad said the grenade missed the target and landed in the kitchen garden of Mirwaiz's neighbor Qazi Noor-ud-din. "There was no loss of life or property. Mirwaiz's family was not in the house at the time of the attack. We have started an investigation," Farooq said.
The attack came minutes after Mirwaiz addressed a press conference here and supported the Indo-Pak peace process. Without naming anyone, he lashed out at the hardliners for opposing a Hurriyat Conference visit to Pakistan to strengthen the peace process.
Hurriyat hawks led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani have already given a call for bandh on January 17 against the proposed visit of moderate leaders to Pakistan.
"The attack is the handiwork of some disgruntled elements who want to sabotage the peace process. They do not want to mitigate the sufferings of the people. But if they think I will be cowed down by such cowardly acts, they are grossly mistaken", declared Mirwaiz.
As the news of the attack reached Mirwaiz Manzil, headquarters of the Awami Action Committee at Rajouri Kadal, his supporters took to the streets on a protest march. Police had to lob teargas shells and use a baton charge to quell the mob at Rajouri Kadal, Gojwara and Khanyar.
The attack also figured in the Legislative Assembly as opposition members raised a hue and cry and demanded a statement from the government. National Conference member and former minister Ali Mohammad Sagar asked government to beef up security for Mirwaiz.
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