Srinagar, Mar 30 (IANS): Rumours did the rounds in this Jammu and Kashmir summer capital Friday about the health of hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani following a security drill by the police.
Traffic thinned out on the city roads as rumours ran wild about the health of the chairman of the breakaway Hurriyat group.
When contacted, the Geelani group's spokesman Ayaz Akbar said: "Geelani Sahib is hale and hearty. The rumours concerning his health are unfounded and mischievous."
Geelani had been heckled by activists of Bhagat Singh Kranti Sena (BSKS) and Akhil Bhartiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) in Delhi last week. Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah was the first to condemn the incident calling Geelani's hecklers "bloody idiots" on his Twitter site.
Police had moved out riot control contingents in full gear at sensitive road crossings early Friday morning as part of a deployment drill in the city.
"This is just a routine security drill to test our preparedness," said a senior police officer here.
No untoward incident was however reported from anywhere in the city.