Amidst a controversy over Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s claim that Narendra Modi had sent emissaries to meet him, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday questioned the secrecy behind the move and asked the hardline separatist leader to identify the pointmen to establish who was “lying.”
With the BJP denying Mr. Geelani’s claims, Mr. Abdullah said the easiest way to find out the truth was to identify the emissaries.
“So Mr. Geelani has claimed that Mr. Narendra Modi sent emissaries to talk to him and other separatist leaders in Delhi, in Mr. Geelani’s case twice,” Mr. Abdullah wrote on twitter.
“So who is lying, Mr. Geelani or NaMo campaign? Easy way to find out — let Mr. Geelani identify the emissaries who met him on behalf of NaMo,” the Chief Minister said.
The Chief Minister wanted to know who the emissaries were and what offer they made as the BJP’s position on Article 370 of the Constitution, which guarantees special status to Jammu and Kashmir, and Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) was known, he said.
“Given BJP’s position on Art 370 & AFSPA can we know who these NaMo emissaries were and what was on offer? Why the secrecy?” he wrote.
Mr. Geelani had yesterday claimed that Mr. Modi had sent emissaries to him to create a “soft corner” by making a commitment to seek a solution to the Kashmir issue. However, BJP termed Mr. Geelani’s claims as “mischievous” and without any basis, saying no emissary has either tried to meet or had met him to discuss the Kashmir issue.
“The party has time and again condemned the negative role played by leaders such as Mr. Geelani whose politics is a threat to the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” BJP said and demanded that Mr. Geelani apologise for the “false” statement.
