Don't leave Delhi, police tell Syed Ali Shah Geelani

Police have asked Syed Ali Shah Geelani, who arrived in New Delhi on January 27 for a medical checkup and was scheduled to return to Srinagar on February 22, not to leave the national capital.

The development, which comes a day after the Centre’s interlocutors formally invited - chief interlocutor Dileep Padgaonkar sent an e-mail to the effect — the separatist leader for talks, has angered the hard line Hurriyat Conference so much that it has called for a Kashmir bandh on Tuesday.

Spokesman Ayaz Akbar said: “We are unable to understand why Delhi Police are preventing Sahib.”

Soon after the news reached the Hurriyat headquarters in Srinagar, an emergency meeting of its advisory council was held.

“It was decided [at the meeting] to call for a Kashmir bandh on February 22 to protest the Delhi Police decision,” Akbar said.
Hurriyat was also seeking legal opinion and would take all measures to bring Geelani back to Srinagar, he said.

Geelani was brought to Delhi after he developed serious health problems. The 82-year-old was vomiting blood.