Will make Geelani hero no more: Omar
May 7th, 2011 - 5:08 pm ICT by IANSSrinagar, May 7 (IANS) In an admission of sorts, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah believes his decision to detain hardline separatist leader Syed Ali Geelani in the past could have made him into “a hero”.
The chief minister, in a tweet, said Friday: “While I appreciate some people will have issues with my decision to allow SASG (Geelani) to roam freely today I’m done making him a hero on my time.”
According to sources, the decision to allow Geelani to lead the funeral prayers of Osama bin Laden in summer capital Srinagar Friday was taken by the chief minister himself after consultation with intelligence/security agencies.
His comment shows that Omar has accepted that putting the hardline separatist leader under house arrest to prevent him from addressing public/religious functions in the past has been a mistake.
The chief minister also had a dig at his followers on the micro blogging site who criticized his decision to allow Geelani to lead the Osama funeral prayers in Srinagar.
“And those of you waxing eloquent about SASG and his prayers are strangely silent when it’s done in Calcutta,” he posted, commenting on similar funeral prayers held in Kolkata.
Omar said in another tweet that had Geelani not been allowed to move freely on Friday, he would have claimed that thousands would have turned out to attend his prayer meeting.
Around a thousand people attended the prayer meet in Srinagar. Geelani had led the Osama funeral prayers in absence in Batmaloo area after the Friday prayers.
Geelani maintained that since the US forces had given Osama a sea burial which had offended Muslim sensibilities, Kashmiris had chosen to offer his funeral prayers in deference to the sentiments in other parts of the world.
- Geelani prevented from visiting south Kashmir - May 13, 2011
- Osama's burial at sea offended Muslim sensibility: Geelani (Lead) - May 06, 2011
- Geelani to lead funeral prayers for Osama in Kashmir - May 06, 2011
- Geelani placed under house arrest in Srinagar - Mar 04, 2011
- Thousands offer Eid prayers in Kashmir peacefully - Aug 31, 2011
- Omar Abdullah defends his tweeting habit - May 09, 2011
- Kashmiri separatist leaders still under house arrest - Aug 06, 2011
- Geelani demands release of prisoners before Eid - Aug 19, 2011
- Need formal invite for dialogue: Geelani - Oct 20, 2011
- Curfew in Kashmir, shoe-thrower get hero's welcome (Lead) - Aug 18, 2010
- Rumours on Geelani's health during a mock drill - Mar 30, 2012
- Omar tweets on Geelani - Feb 21, 2011
- Geelani's shutdown call hits life in Srinagar - Jun 11, 2011
- Geelani under house arrest - Jun 10, 2011
- Geelani, Mirwaiz placed under house arrest - May 27, 2011
Tags: calcutta, chief minister, deference, followers, house arrest, jammu, kashmir, kolkata, osama bin laden, prayer meeting, prayers, religious functions, sea burial, security agencies, sensibilities, sentiments, separatist leader, srinagar, tweet, waxing