BJP demands apology from Geelani over `Modi sent emissaries to Kashmir` claim
The Bharatiya Janata Party on Saturday dismissed the claims of Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani that its prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi had sent emissaries to meet the Hurriyat conference leader.
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BJP categorically denies claim by Geelani that our PM candidate Shri @narendramodi sent emissaries to meet him. False & mischievous claim.— BJP (@BJP4India) April 18, 2014
BJP leader Nitin Gadkari today asked Geelani to name the emissaries who had met him.
“Geelani said two people met him but he didn’t mention their names, their sanction or their status,” Gadkari said.
“If Article 370 is removed, Kashmir will see a lot of development,” he added.
Party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad said, “SAS Geelani`s statements are false, we assure that no representatives of BJP met with him.”
“We demand an apology from Geelani for his false statements, we condemn this act of misleading the people of Kashmir,” Prasad added.
We demand an apology from Geelani for his false statements, we condemn this act of misleading people of Kashmir: Ravi Shankar Prasad, BJP
— ANI (@ANI_news) April 19, 2014
Geelani had yesterday claimed that he was approached by two men who tried to assure him of Modi`s commitment to a soft policy on Kashmir issue.
Geelani said how he told them about “Modi’s role as chief minister during the 2002 Gujarat riots” and that Modi could not be believed to be soft on Kashmir as he is an RSS man, and follows the same ideology.
Geelani further said that BJP`s men were engaged in efforts to convince the separatist leaders that Modi will keep a soft approach on Kashmir.
Geelani might be referring to a pro-Modi approach shown earlier by the Hurriyat Conference chief Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.
The moderate Hurriyat leader had said that there could be hope for Kashmir issue if Narendra Modi followed ex-PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
Meanwhile, J&K CM Omar Abdullah in a tweet asked who was lying – the BJP or the Hurriyat leader?
So who is lying SAS Geelani or the NaMo campaign? Easy way to find out - let SASG identify the emissaries who met him on behalf of NaMo.— Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) April 19, 2014
Omar had list night questioned the “secrecy” of Modi`s emissaries saying that the BJP`s stance on Article 370 and AFPSA was already known.
Given BJP's position on Art370 & AFSPA can we know who these NaMo emissaries where & what was on offer? Why the secrecy? 2/2— Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) April 18, 2014