Act against Roy, Geelani, demands Kashmiri Pandit group

NEW DELHI - An organisation of displaced Kashmiri Pandits Tuesday demanded action against writer-activist Arundhati Roy and separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani for their remarks on Kashmir.

“We are warning the government that if it fails to act against Geelani, Roy and others, we will have no option but to resort to legal recourse not just against them but even against the state for granting permission to such a programme which is against the spirit of the Indian Constitution,” said Aditya Raj Kaul, spokesperson of the organisation called Roots In Kashmir.

Geelani and Roy made pro-azadi speeches at a seminar here last week. The government said it would take action against Geelani over his speech advocating azadi if it found that he had violated laws against preaching sedition.

Roy, at a seminar in Srinagar Sunday, went on to say that Jammu and Kashmir was never an integral part of India and that British imperialism was replaced in 1947 by Indian colonialism. Police are reportedly examining the text of her speech.

On Tuesday, the activist-writer said her speeches supporting the call for azadi were what “millions” in Kashmir say every day and were “fundamentally a call for justice”.

Demanding Roy’s arrest, Kaul said: “The statement issued by Arundhati Roy today (Tuesday) as a continuation of her earlier comments reveals the insidious nature of her propaganda of hate. We feel insulted by the government inaction.”