Taking strong exception to the statement made by Syed Ali Geelani that emissaries of BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi had met some Hurriyat leaders, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, chairman Hurriyat Conference (M) on Saturday said the allegations of Geelani need to be substantiated by him with proof of when, where and with whom this meeting took place.“If he fails to do so and if he has any moral integrity he needs to apologize for these fabrications not to us but the nation which he is trying to mislead and among whom he is trying to create mistrust,” Mirwaiz said while addressing a press conference.Mirwaiz said that time and again Geelani has been creating situations where pro freedom leaders have to prove their sincerity to the movement. “But his sincerity is above doubt it is a far granted. All else for him are guilty till they prove their innocence.”
Mirwaiz said: “Many times I, my party and people have been hurt by Mr Geelani’s remarks wanting to create suspicion in the minds of people but resisted responding only keeping in view the integrity and unity of the movement. But there is a limit to tolerance,” the Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman maintained.He said Geelani’s ‘fabrications and allegations’ have gone too far this time. “Our patience should not be viewed as our weakness. It is a quality inherited from my family, forefathers and my father who for the past decades have rendered innumerable sacrifices for the nation and whose sole purpose in life was safeguarding the interests of Kashmiri people.”Mirwaiz said that he has inherited this legacy of sacrifice of patience of tolerance of faith in goodness of human being of trust of accommodation not a legacy of creating mischief suspicion and misgiving. “Does meeting people with differing or opposite views construe a sellout or insecurity towards the movement? Is it some kind of a benchmark of sincerity? We have always kept the public well informed about any and every meeting. Who can dare to sell out or compromise on the Kashmir issue especially people like us whose family has been the founders of the movement and have dedicated ourselves to the cause for the past more than 100 years.”
Such statements vitiate the atmosphere and create and facilitate such serious situations that become the cause of physical elimination of which my family has become a target not once but twice. One fails to understand why Mr Geelani is trying to project his image before people as the most sincere, holier than other leaders and has to do so at the expense of others by trying to malign them. “Would we have doubted his sincerity if he had met Modis emissaries and not told the nation?” he asked. He said: “Mr Geelani has made a deliberate attempt to mislead the people of Kashmir and since 1990- he has been continuously doing so.” Mirwaiz added that Geelani is not a god father of the ongoing resistance movement of Kashmir and that no person shall be allowed to create misconception at this crucial juncture of the movement.
Clarifying that his faction of Huriyat has not met any emissary of Modi, Mirwaiz stated that whenever his amalgam held dialogue- the same was carried out openly. “Our stand is clear that Kashmir can either be resolved through the implementation of UN resolutions or through the dialogue between India, Pakistan and the people of Kashmir.”He asked: “Geelani is trying to create chaos in Kashmir and due to his irresponsible statements several Huriyat leaders have been targeted in the past. Geelani should come clear about whom he wants to get killed this time.”He said the nation can never forgive Geelani and that before pointing fingers at anyone, he should have gone for self introspection. “He is the man who has contested Indian elections for many a times and took oath of the constitution of India.”
Mirwaiz said that almost every time Geelani uses the traditional rhetoric of ‘sell out’. “Who the hell is Geelani? He has no right to give irresponsible statements,” said Mirwaiz, adding Geelani’s questioning the relevance of Tosamaidan issue is absurd as the firing range at this meadow reflects the mindset of government of India.Stating that Kashmir is at the state where its leadership has to take serious responsibilities and that farsightedness is the need of the hour. “Geelani sahib should not treat our patience as our weakness and we must not be compelled to come out on streets and in media as far as Mr Geelani’s approach and mindset is concerned.”Remarking the Huriyat (G) chairman was never right in his approach and policy, Mirwaiz said that Geelani has no copyright on Kashmir’s resistance movement. “Geelani wants to be seen as the sole conscience keeper of this nation. He has to change his approach. He is always surrounded by a coterie of so called columnists who declare him right all the time and portray others with the different brush.”