Srinagar, Mar 6: The Chairman of Hurriyat Conference (G) Syed Ali Shah Geelani on Sunday declined to participate in the high profile conclave of the India Today Group, scheduled to be held on March 18 in New Delhi. He asserted that that he can’t share stage with officials of the Government of India or bureaucrats including the National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon till his five minimum conditions were accepted.
Geelani was invited to speak in the breakfast debate “Kashmir- what next?’ and share the stage with other speakers including Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) Chief Mohan Bhagwat. Soon after receiving the invitation, he had given his consent for participation. However, after learning that the session will be presided over by India’s National Security Advisor, Geelani today declined to participate in the event.
 “I had given you consent of my participation in a Breakfast Debate titled ‘Kashmir-what next? I expected it to be a discourse between different shades of opinion without any official involvement. Going through your detailed program that this session will be presided over by National Security Advisor of India that makes me unable to participate in view of our consistent policy on non engagement with the Government of India unless it accepts our five point demand,” Geelani wrote in a letter to the Editorial Director of India Today, M.J Akbar.
 In a statement, the spokesman of Hurriyat (G) Ayaz Akbar said the organizers in their invitation had only stated that Geelani will have exchange his views on the Kashmir dispute with the RSS Chief Mohan Bhagwat.
 “However, we later we learnt that the session in which Geelani Sahib was schedule to speak, will be chaired by the National Security Advisor, Shiv Shankar Menon. It has been the standing police of the Conglomerate that it won’t engage in any dialogue till New Delhi accepts our five conditions including accepting Kashmir as a dispute, start of demilitarization, revocation of special powers to armed forces, release of political prisoners, guarantee from Prime Minister that no further killings or arrests will take place and conviction, under war crimes of soldiers and policemen involved in civilian killings,” Akbar said.

Lastupdate on : Sun, 6 Mar 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sun, 6 Mar 2011 18:30:00 GMT
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