Soz praises Mirwaiz, castigates Geelani ‘We don’t need gun but peace, we’ll crush the gun’ KHALID GUL SmallerDefaultLarger Islamabad (Anantnag), Nov 16: Castigating the chairman of Hurriyat Conference (G) Syed Ali Geelani for terming gun as a possible solution to Kashmir issue, State Congress chief Saifudin Soz Saturday here hailed Hurriyat (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq for advocating dialogue. Without naming Geelani, Soz said, “There are certain Hurriyat leaders who are terming gun as the solution to Kashmir issue. But let me make it clear that we don’t need gun but peace, prosperity and dignity. We will crush the gun.” Soz was addressing a rally in Lalan Ganoor village of this South Kashmir district. He said that gun only brought destruction and choked the voice of Kashmiris. “Kashmiris only need to protect their rights and their internal autonomy,” Soz said. Geelani in his recent rallies had said that New Delhi was crushing the voices of dissent and gun was an option for the resolution of Kashmir issue. “New Delhi is pushing our youth to the wall and not paying heed to our peaceful struggle. So youth are forced to think of picking up arms again and in that case the responsibility will solely lie on New Delhi,” Geelani had said. Soz also criticized Geelani for, what he termed, boycott and hartal politics. “I am not among those who will say that separatists should prove their representative character by contesting elections. They have their own view point and I respect it too. But what service they are doing to people by calling for boycott of elections and hartals,” Soz said. Soz said that leadership should be there to mitigate the miseries of people. “Hartali and boycott politics won’t fetch anything,” the Congress leader said. Soz, however, hailed Mirwaiz Umar Farooq for advocating dialogue as the solution to the Kashmir issue and asked him to hold talks with New Delhi. “I welcome the stand of Mirwaiz. However, he should not be reluctant to hold parleys and should instead go for it,” said Soz. He said that he will facilitate dialogue with New Delhi. “Mirwaiz should directly talk to New Delhi and I will facilitate his talks with Prime Minister,” Soz proposed. Terming the meeting of Hurriyat leaders with Pakistan Prime Minister’s Advisor Sartaj Aziz as a futile exercise, Soz said, “Holding meeting with Pakistani Ministers in Pakistan High Commission in New Delhi is not going to solve Kashmir issue. You (Hurriyat) should instead openly come out and hold talks with New Delhi. But if you keep on making the rounds of Pakistan High Commissions it won’t bring any revolution.” Soz also lashed out at BJP for criticizing the government for allowing separatists to meet Sartaj Aziz. “The Hurriyat leaders have been holding meetings in Pakistan High Commission in past too including during BJP tenure. India is a big democracy and we are not afraid of these things.” He said that even United States acknowledges Indian democracy and doesn’t undermine its sovereignty. “Pakistan had recently asked for intervention from US in certain issues with New Delhi but President Barack Obama chose to ignore it.” Soz claimed that Congress was the only party which was protecting Islam in India and safeguarding its religious institutions. “We have 20 crore Muslims in India and Congress is their only hope. Islam and Islamic seminaries in India can be safeguarded only by Congress and this was acknowledged by famous Deoband luminary Anzar Shah Kashmiri too when I met him when I was Minister for Environment in 1997,” said Soz. He said that Congress was the only party which has kept communal harmony intact. “Our democracy is not like Pakistan where Hindus are massacred and even Muslims killed,” said Soz. Soz, asking the people to strengthen Congress and vote for it, announced Hilal Shah as the candidate for Islamabad (Anantnag) constituency in the upcoming Assembly polls. “I assure to solve all your problems and carry developmental works in the area but you should vote for our candidate Hilal Shah in the upcoming Assembly polls,” said Soz. All India Congress Committee (AICC) Secretary and MLA from West Bengal, Moin-ul-Haq, and Minister of Tourism Ghulam Ahmad Mir, who also spoke on the occasion, also announced Hilal Shah as the candidate from Islamabad constituency. On the occasion, several National Conference (NC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) workers joined Congress
Posted on: Sun, 17 Nov 2013 01:16:07 +0000
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