Srinagar: Three top Kashmiri separatist leaders on Wednesday said they will stage a sit-in outside the NIA headquarters in Delhi on September 9 and court arrest to protest against, what they termed as, "vilification" of Kashmiri people by the investigation agency.
The separatist leaders who will court arrest are Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Yasin Malik.
This was stated by Mirwaiz and Malik at a hurriedly-convened press conference in the premises of historic Jamia Masjid in Srinagar. Geelani addressed the conference over phone. The NIA has recently been conducting raids and arresting people associated with the separatist leaders in connection with money laundering and some other cases.
"The government is using the NIA to harass the leaders, the businessmen and the student community, which has been at the forefront of peaceful protests," alleged Mirwaiz, who heads the moderate Hurriyat Conference.
He alleged that the NIA investigations against prominent separatist leaders and businessmen of Kashmir were an attempt to divert the attention from the Kashmir issue. "The government does not want to solve the Kashmir issue and is now using NIA to divert the attention from it," he claimed.
Malik, the chief of JKLF, alleged that the government was foisting one issue or the other every month on the people of Kashmir.
"First, the issue of Kashmiri Pandit colonies, then some other issues and now they want to repeal Article 35A (of Indian Constitution). This is an attempt to change the demography of Jammu and Kashmir and dilute its disputed nature," he charged.
Mirwaiz alleged that the electronic media and social media were being used for a "vicious propaganda" against Kashmiris.
Mirwaiz and Malik said they were not afraid of jails, which are already full of Kashmiri leaders and youth under preventive custody.
"We are not afraid of going to jail but we will not allow vilification and insult of the people of Kashmir for demanding their right to self-determination. We will continue our struggle. Let them keep the jails ready, we are ready to face it," Mirwaiz said.
Malik likened the NIA to Gabbar Singh, the villianious character of Bollywood blockbuster 'Sholay', saying "the government is using this Gabbar Singh to scare the people and keep them away from the freedom struggle".
Mirwaiz and Malik accompanied by hundreds of supporters staged a sit-in against the alleged "atrocities" and detention of separatist leaders and youth under the Public Safety Act.
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