Jammu and Kashmir police Wednesday evening filed an FIR against hardline separatist leader, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Masarat Alam Bhat and other separatist leaders ‘for provocative activities and hoisting Pakistan flag’ in summer capital Srinagar.
Geelani’s supporters also shouted anti-India and pro-Pak slogans.
In a statement a police spokesman said, “Police today registered FIR against Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Masarat Alam Bhat, Bashir Ahmad Bhat alias Peer Saifullah and other separatist leaders for provocative activities and hoisting Pakistani flag in Hyderpora.”
“Some miscreants who were part of the crowd organised by Geelani and others also pelted stones on CRPF vehicles, however, security forces maintained restraint to safeguard the lives of people. FIR No 92 /2015 under sections 13 Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 120-B, 147,341,336,427 RPC was registered in Police Station Budgam and investigation into the matter has been taken up.”
After a gap of five years, Jammu and Kashmir government on Wednesday allowed hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani to hold a public rally in the outskirts of Srinagar city.
Geelani, who returned after spending winter months in Delhi, was taken to his residence from the airport in a procession led by Alam against whom state police registered a case under Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.
He is likely to be arrested, official sources said.
Bharatiya Janata Party, alliance partner of Peoples Democratic Party in Jammu and Kashmir, reacted sharply to this with Minister of State for Home Kiran Rijiju saying that the state government had been asked to act against those who had broken the law.
Taking a swipe at BJP, Congress if it was so concerned with the development, it should walk out of the alliance.
Alam, who was released last month soon after PDP-BJP government came to power in the state, led the march from the Srinagar airport to Geelani’s residence at Hyderpora.
Chairman of Hardline Faction of Hurriyat Conference Syed Ali Shah Geelani at a rally in Srinagar. Photograph: PTI
Geelani, who broke away from Hurriyat Conference to form his own conglomerate with all pro-Pakistan separatist parties as a part of it, spoke about right of self-determination and his speech was broadcast live in Muzzafarabad in Pakistan- occupied-Kashmir (PoK).
“This (broadcast of Geelani's speech) has been done with arrangement with a semi-government organisation in PoK,” Hurriyat Conference spokesman Ayaz Akbar said.
There were some anxious moments when slogans were raised in support of 45-year-old Alam besides pro-Pakistan and Geelani slogans. He is being talked about being successor to Geelani.
Talking to reporters, Alam rejected the suggestions that he was indulging in unlawful activities. “We are only promoting the aspirations of the people of Kashmir. Look at their enthusiasm,” he said apparently referring to the group of youth waving Pakistani flags.
This was Geelani’s first public rally after the 2010 summer agitation in Srinagar in which over 100 youths were killed. Alam was a key player in the entire agitation and used to issue a weekly schedule for strikes.
Besides the Hurriyat flags, some supporters were also seen carrying Pakistani flags as they chanted pro-Pakistan and pro-freedom slogans.
Addressing the gathering, Geelani said Kashmir was not a border dispute between India and Pakistan but the issue of one crore people of the state.
“We will not accept status quo and our struggle to achieve right to self-determination will continue. We will not accept Shimla agreement or Lahore declaration,” Geelani said.
With inputs from PTI
