Srinagar, May 26 -- Kashmir's chief cleric, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, was placed under house arrest on Tuesday and denied permission to travel to Budgam district.

The Mirwaiz had sought authorisation to offer condolences to the family of a 12-year-old girl who was recently killed in what he described as a "brutal and shocking incident."

In a statement, Mirwaiz said all his visits are subject to prior permission from authorities, who must be informed a day in advance.

"It is strange that even a basic humanitarian gesture of expressing sympathy and condolence with the bereaved threatens the rulers and their narrative of 'peace and normalcy,'" he said. (KNS)

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Kashmir News Service....