Senior separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani said on Friday that the desecration of the Jamia Masjid was an attempt to link the indigenous struggle of Kashmiris to global terror groups.
Addressing the Friday gathering at the Jamia Masjid in Nowhatta area of Srinagar on telephone, Geelani said the desecration attempts by some masked youths was an attempt to connect the Kashmiri struggle for freedom with international terror groups.
Geelani has been under house arrest in the city's uptown Hyderpora residence.
Another senior separatist leader, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq, had appealed to the people to observe this Friday as 'Youm-e-Taqadus' (Day of Reverence) at the historic Jamia Masjid.
On December 21, some masked youths displaying black flags appeared inside the mosque and one of them mounted the pulpit wearing shoes.
--IANS
sq/mr
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