Hurriyat (G) to take up Geelani’s house arrest with AI

Srinagar: Accusing the ruling National Conference of using the police as its ‘armed wing’ to crush political dissent, Hurriyat Conference (G) Friday said it would take up the “illegal” house arrest of its Chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani with Amnesty International  and other rights bodies.

“The government has turned Geelani sahib’s house into a jail, and today he was again debarred from offering Friday prayers for the 15th consecutive week. Worse, the government has failed to explain under which acts and provisions of the law it has house locked the Hurriyat chairman for the past 107 days. Therefore, Hurriyat has decided to bring the issue into the notice of Amnesty International and other human rights groups,” a spokesman of the amalgam said in a statement.

Terming National Conference as “fascist”, the spokesman said the pro-India party   had always subjected dissidents to a “policy of vendetta.”

“National Conference has lost its political clout and is trying unsuccessfully to revive it through state power.  The party is using the police as an armed wing to take revenge on its opponents,” he said.

The spokesman said New Delhi and its “puppets” in Kashmir were scared of Geelani’s “popularity and his clear-cut representation of people’s aspirations.”

“They are scared that their claims of Kashmiris being tired would be exposed if Geelani Sahib is allowed to conduct his political activities freely.”

The spokesman said Geealani’s continued house arrest and curbs on his religious, social and political activities also contradicted Indian Home Minister, P Chidambaram’s assurance to remove curbs on political activities in Kashmir. “Actually, these statements are meant to hoodwink the international community while the policy of crushing people’s dissent through the barrel of gun continues,” he said.