KL NEWS NETWORK
SRINAGAR
The Intelligence sleuths interrogating Prof SAR Geelani asked him to explain “his position on the Kashmir issue”.
Prof Geelani was booked on sedition charges on February 16 for co-hosting an event at the Press Club of India to commemorate the hanging of Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru.
In an interview to The Hindu, Prof Geelani, who was released late last Monday evening after serving 35 day detention in Tihar jail, said “he was surprised to see that the intelligence officials being more keen on knowing where he stood on Kashmir than what transpired at Afzal Guru’s memorial”.
“The Press Club event was their least concern,” he told the Chennai based newspaper. “In my case, the entire Home Ministry was involved. I wonder why?” he asked.
“See, there is nothing against me. I have fought bigger battles in the past and this shall too pass,” he said maintaining that no slogans that can be considered “anti-national” were raised. Bharat ki Barbaadi slogans were not raised.” “It is the present government which is on the path of Bharat ki Barbaadi. They are destroying India.”
Describing his case as another attempt to scare him, he said that what he has gone through in the past has made him stronger. “This time, I was deprived of sleep for more than 36 hours. My blood pressure shot up and the doctors told the police to let me take rest else it will take a toll on my health,” he said.
After his classes got over on February 15 in Zakir Hussain College of Delhi University, Geelani with his police escort was on his way back home. He stopped at a petrol pump to get fuel and “suddenly some men dressed in plain clothes gheraoed my car. My security escort took out his gun but I had asked him to stop. After that they took me to some basement in Haiderpur area instead of Parliament Street police station. I was kept there the whole night but not interrogated,” he said.
He was kept in High Security Ward — Jail number 1 of Tihar Jail. “Sometimes, me and police officials used to informally discuss the Kashmir issue.”
