Srinagar, May 15 (PTI) Twenty-one people were arrested in Jammu and Kashmir for staging pro-Palestine demonstrations in violation of the curfew imposed to combat the coronavirus pandemic, officials said on Saturday.

The arrests were made in Srinagar and Shopian districts.

"Twenty people were arrested in Srinagar, while one was arrested in Shopian," Inspector General of Police (IGP) of Kashmir Vijay Kumar told PTI.

Kumar said these arrests were made for multiple reasons, especially the violation of the coronavirus curfew.

Police sources said that among those arrested were an artist who had made pro-Palestine graffiti here as well as some who organised protests against Israel.

Meanwhile, the police also arrested south Kashmir-based religious preacher Sarjan Barkati. Barkati was taken into custody for delivering an inflammatory speech on Eid, the IGP said.

A video of his speech had gone viral on social media.

Barkati was released in October last year after remaining in custody for over four years. He had led the 2016 agitation against the killing of terrorist commander Burhan Wani.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)