Geelani rejects talks offer
The offer of 'quiet dialogue' by union Home Minister P. Chidambaram has not gone down too well with separatist leaders in Jammu and Kashmir with hardline leader Syed Ali Geelani rejecting it saying it was an attempt to 'discredit him' as he had not softened his stand.
The pro-azadi Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) has termed the talks offer 'sheer hypocrisy' as 'talks and killings can't go together'. Opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti has said the centre should take some 'tangible measures' to restore confidence before initiating any talks.
Speaking to some media persons here late Friday evening, Geelani, chairman of the breakaway Hurriyat group, said: 'I won't participate in any dialogue process unless India accepts Kashmir as a disputed territory, withdraws its troops from the Valley and helps implement the United Nations resolutions on Kashmir.'
Geelani said there had been no change in his stand and accused New Delhi of trying to create confusion among the masses by extending the talks offer to him.
'I strongly reject the talks offer by the Indian home minister. It is a conspiracy to discredit me and an attempt to suppress the ongoing agitation for the right to self-determination,' he said.
He also said there was no question of softening his stand on Kashmir as was being projected in a 'wrong way by New Delhi'.
The central government, in order to win the hearts and minds of the people of Kashmir, had Friday said it would resume dialogue and asked the separatists including Geelani to join the effort.
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