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Masarat Alam's release 'not a big deal', says Geelani

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ANI New Delhi
Last Updated : Mar 09 2015 | 1:57 PM IST

Separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani on Monday said the accusations against Hurriyat hardliner Masarat Alam's are untrue, and added that the latter's release was not a big deal.

"The court has released Masarat. He has been out on bail several times. All the FIRs against him had been rejected by the court. So, his release is not a big deal. Also, the accusations against him are not true, I know him very well," he said.

Geelani further said that India should accept the reality that Jammu and Kashmir was a disputed territory and not a part of the country.

"No matter which government comes to power no change will come in Jammu and Kashmir. This was a mere political stunt (Mufti's praise of Hurriyat). India should accept the reality that Jammu and Kashmir is a disputed territory and is not a part of India," he said.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi earlier in the day said the Central Government was neither informed nor consulted about Alam's release.

"I assure the nation that there is no compromise on the unity of the nation," PMO's twitter handle quoted Prime Minister Modi as telling the Lok Sabha.

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Seeking to pacify the opposition, Prime Minister Modi said, "this expression of anger over Alam's release does not belong to any political party, but to the entire nation and the entire House."

"This Aakrosh is not about any party or this bench or that bench. It is about the Nation," the PMO's twitter handle added.

Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh earlier making a statement on the issue said the Centre has sought clarifications from the Jammu and Kashmir government on Alam's release.

He informed the Lower House that although 27 criminal cases are against Alam but he has been granted bail in all the cases.

The Home Minister also informed the Lok Sabha that the High Court has said, 'a person cannot be detained for more than two years under the Public Safety Act'.

Alam was released from Baramulla prison following the new Jammu and Kashmir government's policy to free political prisoners who do not face criminal charges.

Alam is the chairman of Muslim League, a constituent of hard-line Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani and is widely seen as the latter's successor.

He had been convicted for organizing anti-India protests resulting in the death of 112 people in stone pelting across the Valley in 2010.

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First Published: Mar 09 2015 | 1:48 PM IST

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