Srinagar, Feb 20: A day after the interlocutors appointed by the Government of India extended invitation for talks to the Hurriyat Conference (G) Syed Ali Shah Geelani, the Delhi police Sunday barred the veteran leader from leaving New Delhi for unknown reasons.
Meanwhile, the Hurriyat (G) and its allies have condemned imposition of curbs on Geelani’s movement and called for a complete shutdown in Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday (February 22) to protest against it.
Geelani who is undergoing treatment in New Delhi since last month, was scheduled to return to the Valley on Tuesday and among other issues discuss the interlocutors’ invite for talks.
 “However, the sleuths of Delhi police today handed over an order to Geelani at his Malviya Nagar residence saying he can’t leave New Delhi,” Ayaz Akbar, the spokesman of Hurriyat (G) told Greater Kashmir. 
 He said a large posse of police has been deployed around Geelani’s flat in New Delhi and they are checking the credentials of every visitor. “On one hand, New Delhi has invited Geelani Sahib for talks and on the other, has curbed his movement. During the last year’s agitation against the civilian killings, Geelani was arrested and booked under the Public Safety Act. After revocation of the PSA, he was continuously kept under house arrest for 140 days. This exposes New Delhi’s designs to suppress the veteran leader who has been spearheading the ongoing movement for right to self-determination,” Akbar said.
 Back home, the Conglomerate convened an emergency meeting of its Advisory Council and strongly condemned curbs on Geelani’s movement, describing it as an undemocratic move. “The Council has called for a complete shutdown in the State on Tuesday, February 22 to protest against the curbs on Geelani’s movement,” Akbar said.  
 When contacted, Delhi Police spokesman, Rajan Baghat, told Greater Kashmir that he had no information about the matter.
 Incidentally, last month the petition seeking trial of Geelani and four others including noted writer and Booker prize winner Arundhati Roy allegedly for making anti-India speeches was withdrawn from the Delhi High Court after Delhi Police submitted that it has already registered an FIR in the matter against them. 
 According to the petition, Geelani and others had allegedly made the anti-India comments at a convention ‘’Azadi-The Only Way’’ in New Delhi in October last year. A Lower Court had earlier ordered the Delhi Police to register an FIR against Geelani, Roy and four others for sedition and asked them to file the status report on February 25.
 Earlier this month, the interlocutors had claimed to have sent invitations to all the separatist leaders including Geelani, Hurriyat Conference (M) chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and JKLF chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik for talks. But the separatists had said that they had not received any invitation.
 The Chief Interlocutor, Dileep Padgaonkar, on Saturday sent a formal invitation to Geelani at his Malviya Nagar residence, agreeing to listen to his viewpoint on Kashmir dispute and even asking him to choose date, time and venue for the talks.
 “If you (Geelani) don’t want to meet us, we are eager to hear from you and you can send your proposal to us in a written format,” the invitation letter reads.
 The interlocutors have delayed the submission of final report to the Central Home Ministry to pave way for inclusion of views of separatists.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 20 Feb 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 20 Feb 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Mon, 21 Feb 2011 00:00:00 IST