Akhtar booked under PSA for urging people to read Geelani’s book

Srinagar, Feb 11 (SocialNews.XYZ) Senior PDP leader Naeem Akhtar was booked under the stringent Public Safety Act for exhorting people to read Kashmiri separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani's book while he was the state's education minister, among other reasons, according to a dossier accessed by IANS.

He was also booked for terming BJP leader and Union Home Minister Amit Shah's West Bengal poll speech as an "open call for a Hindu Rashtra".

The dossier said PSA was slapped on Akhtar as he had alleged that BJP is playing a dangerous game for electoral gains in the country and inciting communal hatred to win elections.

"The subject in order to achieve nefarious designs has been since long giving such statements which are not only instigating general public to rise against Union of India but are also of such nature which instigate disgruntled elements to indulge in violence and illegal activities like stone pelting so as to keep peace distant," the dossier reads.

It said the statements of Akhtar are indicative of the fact that he is bent upon not allowing public order to return and to disturb the peace process.

"His leaning towards radical elements can be gathered from his statement in which he as education minister advised people to read separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani's book 'Wullar Kinarey'," it said.

The dossier states that reports collected from discreet sources reveal that Akhtar is reported to have called on the youth to continue unlawful activities and aroused anti-India sentiments.

Akhtar had also hit out at the government over the National Investigation Agency summoning separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq to New Delhi alleging that it was "aimed at hurting the sentiments of lakhs of Muslims in Kashmir."

Source: IANS