Separatists threaten stir in Jammu & Kashmir

Separatists are bracing-up for a major showdown with the government over Afzal Guru’s hanging issue. Cutting across ideological lines, both hard-line and moderate factions of Hurriyat Conference have threatened to launch a massive agitation akin to 2008 Amarnath land row if parliament attack convict is hanged.

“We believe Afzal is innocent. If he is hanged, there will be a mass uprising. The government will be fully responsible for the repercussions,” said Ayaz Akbar, spokesman of the hard-line faction of Hurriyat led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani.

Geelani is the only separatist leader to have met Guru in Tihar jail on April 16 this year. Moderates too are not lagging behind in raising their voice against Afzal’s hanging. “We have an example of Maqbool Bhat who was hanged in 1984. New Delhi thought it achieved is goal, but didn’t realize that it will give birth to thousands of Maqbools,” said Syed Saleem Geelani, spokesman of moderate faction of Hurriyat led by Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.