Srinagar, Mar 12: Both factions of Hurriyat Conference Tuesday slammed Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde for refusing to return the body of Afzal Guru to his family. While the Hurriyat led by Syed Ali Geelani termed Shinde’s words as a “result of arrogance of power,” the amalgam led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq said the Home Minister “is suffering from intellectual confusion.”
 Talking to Greater Kashmir, Geelani said Government of India did not allow the family members of Guru to meet him for one last time and went ahead with the “secret” execution plan. “Now, when entire Kashmir is up in arms to seek the remains of Guru, India’s Home Minister is coming up with a big ‘No’. This reflects the arrogance of power from which the leadership in New Delhi is suffering,” said Geelani, who is presently under house arrest at his Hyderpora residence here.
 He said the High Court Bar Association should file an appeal in the Supreme Court to seek the return of Guru’s body, making the family’s demand a ground for the case. “At the same time, human rights bodies across the world should play their part as well,” Geelani said. He said despite satisfying its “collective conscience”, government of India has “brazenly denied return of Guru’s body.”
 The aged separatist leader said he has already urged the youth to maintain discipline during protests. “I told them it is not possible to give protest programs as per the choice of every citizen. We have to take care of all sections of the society,” he said. “People of Kashmir, especially youth should strictly follow the protest programs issued by the Mutahida Majlis-e-Mashawarat (MMM).”
 Meanwhile, Hurriyat (M) convened a meeting of its executive and general councils at its headquarters here. The meeting, sources said, was chaired by senior Hurriyat (M) leader Prof Abdul Gani Bhat. “We deliberated over the statement of Home Minister of India that they can’t handover the body of Guru to his family. This reflects that Shinde is suffering from intellectual confusion with touches of neo-imperialism,” the Hurriyat leader said.
 The Hurriyat has formed a legal cell to challenge the house arrest of its chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, JKLF chief Muhammad Yasin Malik and all others including the youth who have been put behind the bars. “The decision in this regard was taken in today’s meetings,” sources said.
 The Cell would be headed by Advocate Shahid-ul-Islam. “We evolved a consensus in the meeting that a strong voice has to be raised against the house arrest of Hurriyat leaders and all the youth who have been put behind the bars. We will fight a legal battle against such steps taken by the government,” Prof Bhat told Greater Kashmir.
 He said Government of India should accept the fact that the “road to peace to Delhi and Islamabad” passes from Kashmir. “So until Kashmir issue lingers on, peace is impossible,” he said.
 Bhat also hinted that the Hurriyat (M) leaders would also write to State Human Rights Commission (SHRC) against the house arrest of Hurriyat leaders.
 “By putting a Hurriyat leader under house arrest, his right to travel is gagged, but his family members are also subjected to same punishment, which is a grave human rights violation,” Bhat said. 
 Sources said the legal cell will approach the lawyers of Kashmir High Court Bar Association and other legal luminaries to formulate a strong strategy against the house arrest of Hurriyat leaders.
 The Hurriyat (M) members who attended the meeting include Bilal Gani Lone, Moulana Abbas Ansari, Aga Syed Hassan, Mukhtar Ahmed Waza, Mussadiq Adil, Zafar Akbar Bhat, Yaseem Raja and others.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 12 Mar 2013 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 12 Mar 2013 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 13 Mar 2013 00:00:00 IST