Centre dilly-dallying on Kashmir: S.A.R. Geelani

Says Special Arms Act against democracy

September 19, 2014 02:12 am | Updated April 20, 2016 05:38 am IST - KOLLAM:

Syed Abdul Rehman Geelani. Photo: C. Suresh Kumar

Syed Abdul Rehman Geelani. Photo: C. Suresh Kumar

Kashmiri civil rights activist Syed Abdul Rehman Geelani has said that rather than any positive trend, more and more negative trends are emerging on the Kashmir issue following the change of guard in New Delhi.

Talking to presspersons on his arrival here on Thursday to promote a fund-collection drive for the victims of the Kashmir floods, Mr. Geelani said there were general expectations that the initiatives of the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government would be followed up by the Narendra Modi government to address the Kashmir issue. The meeting between Mr. Modi and Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif had boosted such expectations. But the Modi government was dilly-dallying by finding excuses to keep the issue unsolved.

He said that while on the one hand, the Modi government said things could be resolved through talks, on the other hand it was refusing to hold talks.

The people of the country, he said, were quick to understand the double standards adopted by the Modi government, and this was reflected in the recent by-elections. The people could not be fooled for too long, he said. “We have a government at the Centre that is keener on promoting the politics of polarisation.”

He was highly critical of the Special Arms Act which, he said, was against the spirit of democracy. “It compels the accused to prove his innocence,” he said.

Mr. Geelani said that when it came to the handling of the flood situation in Kashmir, both the Kashmir government and the Union government were miserable failures.

He said that in Kozhikode on Wednesday, people from all walks of life had generously contributed to help the flood victims.

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