Chairman of Hurriyat Conference (G) Syed Ali Geelani on Sunday hit out at the PDP-BJP led government, accusing it of trying to change demography of Kashmir by setting up separate colonies for Pandits and Sainiks. “We will foil all such attempts aimed at turning Muslim majority Kashmir into minority. We will register our protest till the government revokes its decision to set up separate Sainik and Pandit colonies,” Geelani said, addressing a seminar organized by Tehreek-e-Hurriyat at Hyderpora.
“I condemn those people who are advocating RSS agenda in Kashmir to change demography of the Kashmir Valley. In 1938, Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah (National Conference founder) converted Muslim Conference into National Conference and then in 1947 requested Jawahar Lal Nehru to send Army to Kashmir. Then he (Sheikh Abdullah) tried to strengthen India’s hands to forcibly control Kashmir,” he said.
Elaborating, Geelani said, India had no right to take over land in Kashmir. “However, it was none other than Sheikh Abdullah who passed a law to give land on lease for 90 years. We are facing the repercussions of the same law,” he said.
Hitting out at PDP, Geelani said “the party in the name of Sainik, Pandit colonies and setting new industries wants to open East India Company in Kashmir.”
“We reject the statement of Mehbooba Mufti (Chief Minister) that non-locals won’t be settled in these colonies. The retired Army personnel have already constructed their own houses during their services and there is no justification in establishing separate colonies for them. India treats Jammu and Kashmir as it colony and has settled non-locals due to which Muslims in Jammu are feeling insecure,” Geelani said.
“Due to patronage of Government, RSS has been staging rallies and brandishing weapons in broad daylight to scare the minorities. The puppet government does not even allow pro-freedom leaders to visit Jammu because they want to keep the region under their control,” he said.
Geelani condemned ‘restrictions’ on journalists covering the seminar.
