‘SC verdict on Rajiv Gandhi killers eye opener for Kashmiri people’: Geelani

‘Omar Abdullah claims peace by restricting our movement’
Srinagar: Separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani Tuesday said that the verdict of the Supreme Court of India regarding the alleged killers of Rajiv Gandhi is an eye opener for all Kashmiri people and it has vindicated our stand that Kashmiri people can’t get justice under India’s occupation.

“On the pretext of inordinate delay in disposal of their mercy petitions by the President, the SC not only commuted the death sentence of the three alleged killers of Rajiv Gandhi into life term but also gave a ray of hope for their release by saying that the State government could exercise its remission powers under Section 432 and 433 and following the due procedure in law. I am not against the verdict but my simple submission is that where was the conscience of the SC when it ordered the hanging of Muhammad Afzal Guroo. Was he (Afzal) implicated and executed just because he was a Kashmiri. Despite the fact that Afzal did not get fair trial, SC was quick to pronounce its verdict to satisfy the so called collective conscience of India,” Geelani told Srinagar based news gathering agency CNS adding that those people who expects justice from India are living in a fool’s paradise.
 
The octogenarian leader said that the institutions of India act as deaf and dumb when it comes to Kashmir. He said that it was not only Muhammad Afzal Guroo who was implicated in false case and executed mercilessly but countless Kashmiri people including Muhammad Maqbool Bhat, Dr Qasim Faktoo, Masrat Aalam and others have suffered at the hands of India.
 
Castigating Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for his claim that people who are in jails are mostly criminals, Syed Ali Geelani told CNS that innocent Kashmiri people are languishing in jails and Omar Abdullah has no answer for this question.
 
“Can Omar Abdullah tell me why he is restricting the movement of pro-freedom leaders and why he is employing his State Machinery to place us under house arrest if he claims that the prevailing peaceful situation in the State is not deceptive and not by force. We don’t believe in disruption of peace but it the government which harasses youth and puts people of Kashmir behind the bars. Our movement is restricted by imposing restrictions and curfew and we are not allowed to express ourselves freely,” he said. (CNS)