Srinagar, May 9: A day after the chief minister Omar Abdullah expressed his readiness to face separatists in elections the Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani dared him (Omar) to allow the amalgam to hold a public meeting at Lal Chowk here to make it clear as to who represented the people.
 “If at all Omar Abdullah is really keen to see our representatives character, he should put an end to my house arrest and give Hurriyat permission to hold a public meeting at Lal Chowk here. If he (Omar) is really peoples’ representative let him come out of security ring and address a public meeting. Once his security is removed he will find it difficult to move even from Sonawar to Civil Secretariat,” said Geelani in a statement today.
 Geelani said the pro-freedom leaders did not need to show their representative character as they have already shown it a number of times when lakhs of people responded to their calls and came on streets. “The fresh examples of peoples’ mandate to pro-freedom leaders are the mass movements of 2008 and 2010 when tens of lakhs of people used to come on streets,” he said, adding that the pro-freedom leaders are real representatives of peoples’ wishes and aspirations.
 Geelani alleged that Omar Abdullah was running his government with the support of the crutches of police and other armed forces.
 Geelani termed as ridiculous Omar Abdullah’s statement that no issue had ever been solved with the gun. “We ask Omar Abdullah which gun he is talking of. What is his opinion about the 7.5 lakh guns of New Delhi and one lakh guns of Kashmir police? What business these armed forces have here. Guns are not used by us. We are putting forth our point of view peacefully and democratically,” he said, adding that no other place in the world has so large a military concentration as Jammu Kashmir.
 “Holding elections in presence over lakhs of armed forces is cruel joke with democratic process. Such elections lack democratic credibility at international level even if votes polled are hundred percent,” Geelani said.

Lastupdate on : Wed, 9 May 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Wed, 9 May 2012 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Thu, 10 May 2012 00:00:00 IST