It seems all roads in Srinagar are leading to Zaindar mohalla, a small locality in the sensitive old city. Hordes of people are thronging a two-storey house on the river banks to have a glimpse of the 43-year old Hurriyat hardliner and face of 2010 azaadi groundswell, Masarat Alam.

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Undeterred by the hue and cry in the country and parliament, Alam sits composed and eagerly waits for Hurriyat hawk Syed Ali Shah Geelani to arrive from Delhi to chalk out future course of action. Alam, who also heads the J&K Muslim League, took his time off his busy schedule to talk to dna about his release and national outrage. Excerpts:Your release has created a national outrage. Parliament has seen uproarious scenes with the PM sharing the anguish of the nation. How do you see these developments?The parliamentary delegation led by then home minister P Chidambaram visited Kashmir in 2010 and it too felt that excesses have been committed and that (security forces) have fired on the innocents. Why is the parliament today blaming me for those killings? 120 people, including an eight-year-old boy died after the forces rained bullets. How can they blame me for that?Pressure is on government to re-arrest you...The calls to re-arrest me do not perturb me… I have always maintained that arrests and releases under Public Safety Act (PSA) have been part of my life. I have spent 17 years of my life in jails and have been booked under PSA around 23 times since my joining the movement.Was there a deal behind your release?I was released after due process of law. It is the government which violated the law. PSA was slapped on me six times after my arrest in 2010 only to be quashed every time. I have been bailed out in all the cases registered against me. Supreme Court had asked the government to inform me about my detention seven days in advance but they never followed it. In fact, when my case came before the apex court they submitted that my PSA has been revoked. Technically I should have been freed but they did not; also, they slapped me with another PSA.What is your next course of action?We are affiliated to the Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani. We follow a common programme, which will be discussed (once Geelani lands in Srinagar). Let me tell you my struggle will continue till we achieve the goal of azaadi.Former SSP Srinagar was quoted saying Omar Abdullah wanted you dead. Are you disturbed by such reports?It (report) proves that police have been indulging in custodial killings. They were also told to apply same yardstick with me. We do not believe in the government investigations, and hence would not seek one on this too.