Srinagar, June 13: Retracting from his early remarks, the Muslim Conference Chief Prof Abdul Gani Bhat has “regretted” having hurt the sentiments of people by his remarks on Kashmir issue. Making a complete U-turn on the remarks in his reply to the show-cause notice issued to him by the Hurriyat Conference (M), Prof Bhat has said the “UN resolutions form the legal base for the resolution of Kashmir issue.” He also ruled out any alliance with mainstream parties “till they don’t desist from participating in the elections under the Constitution of India.”
 “I and my party will always abide by the constitution of the Huriyat Conference. At my ancestral village I have clearly stated that UN resolutions form the legal base of the Kashmir dispute. And it is unfortunate that they are not being applied. Although the words like inapplicable, irrelevant and obsolete which media attributed to me were never part of my speech. Still if it hurt the sentiments of the people, I regret it,” Prof Bhat has said.
 The issue was being discussed at a meeting of Hurriyat (M) executive council at the party’s Headquarters at Raj Bagh here today. The meeting was chaired by Hurriyat Conference (M) Chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and attended by Hurriyat leaders Masroor Abass Ansari, Mukhtar Ahmed Waza, Muhammad Musadaq Adil, Agha Syed Hassan and Prof Bhat.
 Prof Bhat has replied that “If the mainstream parties are really interested in the resolution of Kashmir issue according to the aspirations of people, then they should leave the mainstream politics and stop participating in elections and join Hurriyat Conference. Otherwise they are all shedding crocodile tears and don’t care for the sentiments of people.”
 Pertinently Bhat had earlier triggered a controversy by saying that the “UN resolutions have become irrelevant and it is time for separatists to forge alliance with mainstream politicians on Kashmir resolutions.”
 Meanwhile Huriyat (M) has called for joint meet of members of executive as well as general council on June 19 to chalk out future strategy.
 Hurriyat (M) also condemned the house arrest of its senior leader Shabir Ahmad Shah.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 13 Jun 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 13 Jun 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 14 Jun 2012 00:00:00 IST