'Punish Geelani'

Kashmiri Pandit' outfit files plea in court to seek prosecution of Hurriyat hawk

The controversy, surrounding the controversial remarks on Kashmir by Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani and author Arundhati Roy, is not going to die easily.


Men of words: Roots In Kashmir's Sushil Pandit and Aditya Raj Kaul, with
counsel Vikas Padora, who filed a case against Syed Ali Shah Geelani
and Arundhati Roy, in New Delhi. Pic/imtiyaz khan

The duo made the comments at a seminar at the LTG auditorium near Mandi House on October 21. Roots in Kashmir (RIK), a Kashmiri Pandits group, on Wednesday approached the court to get an FIR registered against the duo at the Tilak Marg police station and get them tried for sedition.

Acting on the complaint filed under section 156(3) of the CrPC, Metropolitan Magistrate Navita Kumari Bagha said, "The Station House Officer of the concerned police station is directed to file a status report by November 16."

Vikas Padora, counsel for complainant, Sushil Pandit, submitted that prima facie a case of sedition was made out against the accused as they had openly challenged the integrity and the authority of Government of India. "Being a citizen of this country, the complainant is duly empowered by the Constitution to seek registration of an FIR against the accused persons for various offences against the nation," Padora argued.

"The government has until now remained a mute spectator to the vicious and seditious speeches made by the separatists. Since they've remained inert, we've decided to shoulder the responsibility," said RIK member Aditya Raj Kaul.

Besides Geelani and Roy, the complaint also seeks prosecution of five others, including Delhi University professor SAR Geelani, who was acquitted in Parliament attack case, and Sheikh Showkat Hussain, a professor of Jammu and Kashmir University. Hurriyat leader Geelani had shared the dais with Roy and pro-Maoist leader Vara Vara Rao among others during the convention, 'Azadi-The Only Way.'

It was alleged that as the government had miserably failed to initiate any action against the "culprits" of the anti-India seminar, a private complaint against them has been filed.

Insult to tricolour
A young activist had filed a complaint at the Tilak Marg police station, accusing Geelani, Arundhati and the organiser of the seminar SAR Geelani of showing disrespect to the national tricolour.

In his complaint, he had alleged that the trio provoked some people to tear the tricolour.u00a0"The speeches made by Hurriyat leader Geelani and Arundhati Roy provoked some anti-national elements present at the seminar to tear the national tricolour.

It is an abject disrespect to our national symbol," said Binay Singh founder of Youth United for Vibrant Action (YUVA).