Ban on JKLF 'undemocratic' : JRL

Separatists Saturday said the Centre's decision to ban Jammu and Kashmir Liberatation Front headed by Yasin Malik was "undemocratic" and "political vendetta".

Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL), an amalgam of separatist groups, called for a general strike on Sunday to protest against the ban imposed by the government on the JKLF.

"The Government of India's decision of banning the JKLF for five years is highly authoritarian, autocratic and pure political vendetta," the JRL said in a statement.

The JRL urged people of Kashmir to observe a complete shutdown on March 24 against "the arbitrary and undemocratic decision" of the government.

"The way Government of India is announcing bans and crackdowns on the organizations associated with the Kashmir struggle, arresting the leadership and slapping them with draconian PSA, killing youth in custody .... exposes their hollow claims of democracy," it said.

This is the second organisation in Jammu and Kashmir which has been banned this month. ...