Indian police detain hundreds before Modi visits Kashmir

Kashmiris shout slogans after Indian police detained separatist People’s Political Party (PPP) leader Hilal Ahmad War, center wearing a shawl around his neck, in Srinagar, Indian controlled Kashmir, Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2015.

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SRINAGAR, India, Nov 4: Indian authorities have detained key separatist leaders and hundreds of their supporters to prevent them from protesting during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to Kashmir this weekend.

Separatists have called for a march by 1 million people near the venue of Modi's public meeting in Srinagar on Saturday, challenging India's sovereignty over the disputed region.Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Shabir Ahmed Shah have been put under house arrest, while Mohammed Yasin Malik has been detained at a police station, police said Wednesday.

Preventive arrests are fairly common in the Indian portion of Kashmir, particularly ahead of important events that authorities fear could be targeted by separatists to stage anti-India protests.

Insurgent groups have been fighting for Kashmir's independence or its merger with Pakistan.

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