Hurriyats Syed Ali Geelani calls for boycott of 2014 polls SHUJA-UL-HAQ SRINAGAR, NOVEMBER 2, 2013 | UPDATED 14:05 IST With elections due in 2014, separatists in the Kashmir valley have started calling for boycott to voting in polls. The mainstream parties have opposed the call. After being released from a prolonged restriction on movement, Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani called for a boycott of the 2014 Lok Sabha polls that will be followed by the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections. Talking about the mainstream political parties, Geelani said, They are collaborators for continuing Indian rule in Kashmir. Pro-India political parties always brokered our natural resources for their power. Ridiculing both National Conference and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and their thought process, Geelani said that solutions like the self-rule of the PDP or the autonomy proposed by the ruling National Conference (NC) or any other option offered by other mainstream political parties would not be accepted by Kashmiris. On the part of the mainstream political parties, Geelanis release has become a debate which according to them has repercussions on the upcoming polls. The main opposition party PDP has already hinted that they doubt the timing of the release of the Hurriyat leader. Naeem Akhtar, spokesman of the PDP has accused National Conference (NC) of playing dirty politics. Apprehensions are there and many people believe that perhaps Geelani was released only because National conference (NC) is benefited by his poll boycott campaign, said Akhtar. Party insiders have told us that there is a thinking that Geelanis poll boycott call helps NC as this keeps the masses away from polling booth while the NC cadre manages to vote. However, the NC has strongly opposed Geelanis boycott call. NC additional General Secretary Mustafa Kamal said, Geelani has lost his credibility as nobody pays heed to his boycott calls or even the strike calls. But he will not let the peaceful situation prevail for long. He will use every tactic to disturb the peace again. In the saga of claims and counter claims what seems to be very clear is that 2014 dubbed as the poll year for Kashmir is going to see a lot of political slug fest. Read more at: indiatoday.intoday.in/story/syed-ali-geelani-2014-polls-kashmir-polls-national-conference-peoples-democratic-party/1/321405.html
Posted on: Thu, 21 Nov 2013 05:19:13 +0000
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