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Geelani condemns Krishna, supports Zardari

KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 10/3/2012 12:30:19 AM

SRINAGAR, Oct 2: The Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman, Syed Ali Shah Geelani, today reacted to external affairs minister, S M Krishna, saying “elections are not an alternative to plebiscite.”
“There are nearly 8 lakh Indian troops in Kashmir and holding elections under such circumstances is nothing more than a ‘military exercise’…It is also well established from the UN resolutions that elections are not an alternative to plebiscite,” he said in a press statement issued here.
The 82-year-old separatist leader was reacting to Krishna’s statement given in UN general assembly. Krishna had objected to the speech by Pakistan president, Asif Zardari, in which he mentioned Kashmir issue and wanted an early resolution of the problem.
“I did not expect that President Zardari would make a reference to Kashmir and once a reference from Pakistan at the highest level in the UN is made, then it is certainly the responsibility of India to state its position," Krishna was quoted as having said.
Krishna also called Kashmir an “integral part of India” and said that the people of Jammu and Kashmir have chosen and reaffirmed their destiny repeatedly through “India's well established democratic processes”
Geelani said, “Zardari did not mention Punjab or Assam in the assembly because he did not need. But Kashmir is a dispute and it has been accepted by the UN as well as the international community.”
New Delhi, he said, should have “accepted the reality” instead of choosing to continue with “the ridiculous stand.”