Separatist groups in Srinagar have called for a general strike on Tuesday a day after a massive fire gutted the historic 11th century Peer Dastgeer Sahib shrine here.
The protestors have alleged that firefighters arrived late on the scene to douse the flames.
The cause of the fire is still to be ascertained however the authorities later claimed that the holy relic of the 11th century Muslim saint was safe.
The incident sparked tension in Srinagar city and heavy police force was deployed to control the law and order sitiation here.
Groups of youths pelted stones and clashed with the police in Khanyar, where a mob attacked a police station.
Police used batons and tear smoke canisters to disperse the protesters, three of whom have been shifted to hospital following symptoms of choking due to smoke.
A spontaneous shutdown crippled life in the old city areas, where traffic was diverted to uptown by the police.
Dozens of fire tenders were pressed into service immediately after the fire broke out at the shrine around 6.30 am Monday.
The Muslim saint, Sheikh Abdul Qadir, is popularly known as Peer Dastgeer Sahib or ‘Ghaus-e-Azam’ by Muslims and ‘Kahnoow’ by the Hindus. The reverence for the 11th century saint cuts across religious barriers in Kashmir.
Interestingly, the saint never visited Kashmir and the holy relic was brought here by an Afghan governor, Abdullah Khan, 337 years ago.
The shrine had many antique chandeliers and invaluable wood carving panels, all of which have been reportedly destroyed in the blaze.
Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir government ordered a probe into the fire incident in which the shrine of Dastageer Sahib was gutted.
–IANS