Sayee Promises Action Against Those Waving Pakistani Flag At Geelani’s Rally
02 May, Srinagar
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed on Saturday promised action against those responsible for waving Pakistani flags at Friday’s rally addressed by Syed Ali Shah Geelani even as Hindu organisations held a protest demanding the arrest of separatist leader.
The Chief Minister also rejected Geelani’s demand to curtail the duration of the Amarnath Yatra to 30 days from the planned 59 days. He said, it will take place as scheduled.
Talking to reporters in Ahmedabad, Sayeed recalled how separatist leader Masarat Alam Bhat, who had himself raised pro-Pakistan slogans and waved Pakistani flags at a rally attended by Geelani was put behind bars.
The Chief Minister appeared to share the view of Geelani against creating exclusive townships for Kashmiri Pandits who wanted to return to the Valley when he spoke about the culture of living together. He said, they are part of a culture of living together. They had to leave the Valley in an atmosphere of militancy in 1990.
Slamming Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Gilani, the Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Dr. Nirmal Singh on Saturday said that the yatra would be held as per the schedule. He told reporters in Jammu that security and all other facilities will be provided to the pilgrims.
Singh said, separatists have become irrelevant and they were trying to communalise the issue to seek attention of the media. Commenting on the waving of Pakistan flag at Gilani’s rally, the Deputy Chief Minister asserted that the government will take stringent action under law so that nobody could dare to indulge in anti national activities in future.
Meanwhile, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said in Jammu on Saturday that he was confident that the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed government would rise to the occasion and take steps to ensure such incidents do not recur.
Talking to reporters he said, the government has reiterated time and again that there is no place for Pakistan’s flag being hoisted.
But at the same time he hasten to add that the government in the state is capable of handling any situation like this. Singh said, the State government and the Chief Minister have already taken appropriate action in similar incidents in the past.