Srinagar, June 29: Cutting across party lines, religious and political leaders of the Valley have appealed the people to stay calm and foil the designs of vested interests and conspirators in the wake of Gund Hassibhat incident wherein people alleged the desecration of Holy Quran and burning down of Alam Sharief.
 The residents of the locality, in the outskirts of Srinagar, Friday said Alam Sharief in a local Imam Bargah was burned down while a copy of Holy Quran lay torn apart by unidentified people.
 Police lodged an FIR vide number 202/2012 in police station Parimpora and government has ordered a magisterial inquiry. “DDC along with SSP Srinagar went to Gund Hassibhat and met people there and ordered magisterial probe and an investigation which will be taken up by the police to bring the involved persons to task,” officials said here.
 Terming the incident a conspiracy to create wedge between Muslims, senior Hurriyat leader and Patron of Ittehad-ul-Muslimeen Moulana Abbas Ansari said that ‘people of Jammu and Kashmir are seeking freedom and cannot be divided on sectarian and regional lines.’
 In a statement, Ansari while condemning the incident said that anti-movement elements are out to create rift between Sunni and Shias on the directions of their bosses. “At this critical juncture, we should remain united at every level and pro-freedom leadership shouldn’t allow anybody to create rift between the Muslims,” Ansari said.
 Ansari also appealed Ulema of different sects to desist from acts which can cause damage to the unity and ‘ongoing freedom movement.’
 Demanding fair probe in Dastgeer Sahab (RA) Shrine fire and Gund Hassibhat incident, Ansari said mainstream parties were trying to take advantage of the situation for their own interests.
 “It is high time for the freedom loving masses to remain aware of these conspiracies,” Ansari said, adding that mainstream parties were trying to give sectarian colour to the ongoing movement.
 The Chairman of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, Muhammad Yasin Malik, cautioned the people against the ‘conspiracies aimed at stirring up sectarian passions in Kashmir.’
 In a statement today, Malik alleged that today’s incident was part of this conspiracy.
 “The elements behind this incident wanted to whip up sectarian clashes. But we salute the people whose wisdom, sincerity and timely intervention pacified the tempers of enraged people and saved the situation from going out of control. We also felicitate the people of the area for staying cool and calm over the provocative incident thereby foiling the nefarious designs of the conspirators,” said Malik.
 Kashmir University students, putting up in Maulana Anwar Shah Kashmiri and Mehboob-ul-Alam hostels, Friday afternoon took out a rally to protest the alleged desecration of the Holy Quran at Gund Hassibhat.
 The students after offering the Friday prayers assembled in the front lawns of boys’ hostel and proceed to Allama Iqbal Library for a 15-minute peaceful demonstration.
 Holding placards and shouting slogans, students demanded an independent probe in the matter.
 Anujman-e-Sharie Shian president Aga Syed Hassan asked the pro-freedom and religious groups to hold independent investigation into sacrilegious acts of Gund Hassibhat and Dastgeer Sahab Shrine.
 In a statement issued here, the politico-religious outfit said that a team comprising of pro-freedom and religious leaders should be constituted for carrying out independent inquiry into these incidents so that people know the truth.
 Expressing concern over the incidents, Hassan said these incidents were part of bigger conspiracy and added that unidentified agencies want to create restive situation here.
 Hassan said that masses should demonstrate maturity and farsightedness at this juncture and defeat the nefarious designs of elements hell-bent upon creating the rift within Muslims.
(WITH IMRAN MUZZAFAR)

Lastupdate on : Fri, 29 Jun 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Fri, 29 Jun 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Sat, 30 Jun 2012 00:00:00 IST