Patna,(BiharTimes): The statement given by the leader of the hardline All Party Hurriyat Conference, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, that he received two Kashmiri Pandit emissaries from BJP’s prime ministerial pick, Narendra Modi, seems to have an LJP connection.
However, the BJP has called Geelani’s statement as “lies with malicious intent.”
Highly-placed intelligence sources in Jammu and Kashmir have confirmed to the English daily, The Hindu, that it was none else but the Lok Janshakti Party leader, Sanjay Saraf, who along with former MLA M L Mattoo, met Geelani on March 22 last.
Sanjay Saraf is a Kashmiri Pandit activist who represents Ram Vilas Paswan’s Lok Janshakti Party in Jammu and Kashmir and heads its national youth wing. M L Mattoo was a former legislator from Habbakadal in Srinagar, who is also active in Kashmiri Pandit politics.
Geelani was reportedly invited to open a dialogue with Modi.
Geelani declined to identify them saying the March 22 meeting took place after an assurance of confidentiality was given.
While talking to The Hindu, Saraf admitted that he had met Geelani in Srinagar four weeks ago, but said the visit was prompted by concern over the ageing leader’s ill-health.
“Though my Lok Janshakti Party is now part of the National Democratic Alliance”, Saraf said, “I have never carried any messages on behalf of the BJP, and would never do so”.
“I have met Mr. Geelani not once but dozens of times”, he added, “and have also taken Mr Paswan to speak with him. I intend to ask Mr. Geelani to name the people he met, and to clear my name”.
Saraf has long been associated with Mr. Geelani, sharing a platform with him at multiple meetings where the veteran Islamist leader has reached out to the Pandit community. Last year, Saraf also campaigned for the release of Mushtaq Ahmad Bhat—a hardline ally of Geelani, who is in prison for his alleged role in the violent street mobilisation which rocked Kashmir in 2010.
Political sources close to Geelani said Saraf had also sought support from Geelani for his plans to contest from old-city Srinagar in Assembly elections scheduled for later this year. But Saraf, while talking to The Hindu denied this.
According to the daily Mattoo could not immediately be reached for comment.