Hurriyat hawk Syed Ali Shah Geelani triggered sharp reactions from saffron parties after he endorsed the use of guns by militants and stone pelting to find a permanent solution to the Kashmir issue. Saffron parties have demanded his arrest under the National Security Act (NSA).

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“(Mahatma) Gandhi used peaceful means while Bhagat Singh used violence during India’s freedom struggle. Even Netaji formed his own army to fight Britishers. Therefore gun is an option in our freedom struggle,” said Geelani, 84, a pro-Pakistan Hurriyat hardliner. He justified resorting to stone-pelting in Jammu and Kashmir, saying it is a reaction to the use of force by the police and CRPF in the state.  

The BJP and Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) slammed Geelani for advocating violence. “Geelani has committed an act of treason by endorsing guns and stone-pelting. He should be arrested and booked under NSA,” Rama Kant Dubey, J&K state president of the VHP, told dna. “He (Geelani) should have been behind bars. Jammu and Kashmir is an integral part of a free country.

Pakistan-occupied Kashmir is the only issue which has to be settled. There is a 1994 Parliament resolution in this regard,” said Vibodh Gupta, state vice-president of the BJP.

The National Conference (NC) also hit out at the Hurriyat hawk. “There is no room for violence in a civilised society. About 1 lakh people lost their lives in 22 years. This thirst for human blood is unfortunate,” said Mustafa Kamal, NC’s additional general secretary and Omar Abdullah’s uncle.

Advice to PakistanSyed Geelani said Pakistan should stop human rights violations against minorities and attacks on religious places as stability of that country is necessary to find a solution to the Kashmir issue.