Masarrat dares India to hold referendum to prove him wrong
In Kashmir, senior Hurriyet leader, Masarrat Aalam Butt, who has been recently released from an Indian jail, has said that people in the territory don not want to be part of India challenging that if New Delhi is confident that the people want to stay with India, let them decide the issue through a referendum once and for all.
Masarrat Aalam Butt in a media interview in Srinagar questioned the relectuance of the Indian establishment from holding referrendum. “If it is only people like me who are causing trouble, let the referendum be held. We will respect the verdict,” he added. He says the years of detention haven’t dented his commitment to his cause. He calls himself a true representative of the sentiments of the people of Kashmir and dares New Delhi to hold a referendum to prove him wrong.
Masarrat Aalam Butt, who spent 17 of his 42 years in jail for his dedication to the cause of freedom, vowed to continue struggle for the cherished goal of freedom. “We are in a forum led by Syed Ali Gilani. We will discuss our strategy. We will discuss and follow his directions.I am just a freedom lover while all pro-Indian parties are the same,” he said.
“People were killed by armed forces during the 2010 uprising; youth were showered with bullets. If the Indians say I instigated people, let there be an international probe. Let the world know how the 120 youth were killed,” he demanded. Ten lakh people gathered at Eidgah maidan to protest against the killings, he said. “Did I instigate all of them? They were genuine freedom lovers who were demanding their right to be free. I am a freedom lover who has spent 17 years in jail for that dream, and so have thousands of others like me. People in Kashmir don’t want to be with India,” he added.
“There were 27 cases against me. I obtained bail in all the cases. The judiciary has released me. I don’t know why there is so much hue and cry over my release,” he questioned. “People were protesting against the killings —one killing led to another. Even the Indian parliamentary committee — which visited Kashmir in 2010 and included BJP’s current foreign minister Sushma Swaraj — agreed that the 2010 uprising was genuine,” he said.
The Prime Minister said in parliament that the problem of Kashmir was unique and needs a unique solution. Besides, if I instigated lakhs of people in 2010, who instigated the protestors in 2008, he enquired.
