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Geelani lashes out at Lone, secular politicians

The rift within the Hurriyat Conference came to the fore with former chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, asking the people to foil designs of so-called "secular leaders bent upon harming the freedom struggle in Jammu and Kashmir".

"A conspiracy is going on in the Hurriyat and it is you who have to distinguish and choose between the so-called secular leaders and those toeing the Islamic line," Geelani told a Friday congregation in Baramulla district.

Lashing out at People's Conference chairman and senior executive member of Hurriyat, Abdul Gani Lone, the fireband pro-Pakistan Jamaat-e-Islami leader said there was no room for secular politics in Kashmir and urged the people to reject secular politicians.

"The time has come when people of Kashmir have to decide whether to support secular politics or politics based on Islamic principles," Geelani said and asked people to extend their full support to the politics supported by religious tenets.

He said the on-going movement drew inspiration from Islam and he did not believe in " La-Deen " (anti-Islamic] politics.

Geelani also said if India accepted Kashmir as a disputed territory, there would be no need for separatist leadership to go to Pakistan to rein in militants.

Denouncing the unilateral ceasefire as a "mere gimmick", he asked the Centre to read the writing on the wall and accept Kashmir as a disputed territory.

Geelani alleged India had been using delaying tactics for the past 53 years and was misleading the world community all the way.

"Parliament is in session these days. Let the prime minister show his sincerity on the floor of the House by repealing the 1994 resolution passed by it which describes Jammu and Kashmir as an integral part of India and replacing it by another resolution declaring Kashmir to be disputed and expressing its commitment to resolve the issue according to United Nations resolutions," he said.

Geelani, considered a hard-liner, said the moment Parliament repeals its 1994 resolution and replaces it by the new one, there would be no need for Hurriyat leaders to go to Pakistan.

"We will urge militants to stop operations against security forces from Srinagar's Lal Chowk or even from Baramulla on the plea that India had accepted our basic right and wants to solve the dispute in keeping with people's aspirations," he said.

PTI

The Kashmir ceasefire: The complete coverage

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