The BJP, coalition partner of ruling PDP government in the Jammu and Kashmir, today demanded arrest of hardline Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani under the stringent Public Safety Act for waving of Pakistani flags at his rally in Tral area.
"Geelani too need to be arrested immediately under PSA as was done last month against Masrat Alam," BJP state chief spokesperson Sunil Sethi told reporters here today.
"There is no difference between Masarat Alam and Sayeed Ali Shah Geelani, both are the separatist leaders who are hell bent on disturbing the peaceful atmosphere in the Valley by organizing such type of events," Sethi said.
The rally held yesterday in Tral in South Kashmir, which was the first in seven years by the separatist leader in the militancy-infested township, witnessed pro-Pakistan sloganeering and waving of Pakistani flags.
He also demanded strict action against the separatist leader for raking up the Amarnath Yatra issue.
"While we strongly condemn the statement of separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani for raising the issue of Amaranth Yatra asking to curtail it to one month, we demand that the government must take immediate action against this separatist leader" Sethi said
He said that the separatist leaders like Geelani, after having failed to get any public support in Kashmir Valley, were now making attempts to disturb the peaceful atmosphere in the Valley by interfering in the religious issues like Amarnath Yatra "to remain in limelight".
The separatists were raising the issue of Amarnath Yatra "under a deep rooted conspiracy" as they want to disturb the communal harmony in the state.
"But BJP will never allow them to succeed in their nefarious designs," Sethi said.
He said the decision about the duration of Amarnath Yatra is taken by the Shrine Board, which is an autonomous body and no one has any right to interfere.
Sethi said that the Annual yatra of Amarnath was directly linked to the economy of the Kashmir.
"The economy of Kashmir is linked to this Yatra, lakhs of people in the valley are directly benefited by the inflow of Yatris," he said.
