Flag no issue but excuse to curb Geelani’s activities: Hurriyat (G)

“Mufti Sayeed has lost his battle of ideas without even starting it on political turf with Geelani,” he added.

Terming as ‘ridiculous’ the chief minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed’s statement that his government had no problems with Syed Ali Shah Geelani’s  recent rally but waving of Pakistani flag disrupted the atmosphere, the Hurriyat Conference (G) spokesman Ayaz Akbar on Monday claimed that raising flag issue was in fact an excuse to fetter Geelani’s political activities.

“Waving of flag is not a new thing in Kashmir. Besides, it is even no offence at all. How come it will disrupt atmosphere. The fact remains that Kashmir is an issue and it needs to be resolved,” Akbar said.

“Mufti Sayeed has lost his battle of ideas without even starting it on political turf with Geelani,” he added.

“Basically, when Geelani Sahab returned from Delhi, some youth were spotted carrying Pakistan flags. News channels focused on it and made it a debate. Then the commotion over the issue was raised by the opposition in the Parliament. The Government of India censured the Mufti led government in Jammu Kashmir and he succumbed to the New Delhi’s pressure and ordered immediate arrest of Hurriyat senior leader Masarat Alam Bhat, besides registering case against Geelani Sahab and others,” Akbar said, adding that “Had Mufti Muhammad Syed any guts he would have resisted the New Delhi’s pressure and left the field open for fighting the battle of ideas with Geelani Sahab and other pro-freedom leaders.”