Buckling under pressure from alliance partner Bharatiya Janata Party, the People’s Democratic Party led government in Jammu and Kashmir on Friday arrested separatist leader Masarat Alam Bhat in connection with the raising of Pakistani flags during a rally in Srinagar on Wednesday. “Bhat has been arrested in the case registered in police station Budgam in connection with the provocative actions during the rally on Wednesday,” a senior police officer said. The 45-year-old hardline separatist leader, who was placed under house arrest on late Thursday night, was arrested from his home in Habbakadal area of the city early this morning and taken to police station Shaheed Gunj, the officer said. As he was being led away by police, Bhat said his arrest was nothing new as “Jammu and Kashmir is being ruled on the might of power”. “Raising of Pakistani flags and chanting pro-freedom slogans is nothing new in Jammu and Kashmir. It has been happening since 1947,” said Bhat.
