Under pressure from the NIA, which has arrested four of his aides and summoned his two sons in connection with receiving funds for fomenting trouble in Kashmir, senior separatist leader Ali Shah Geelani said the resistance leadership has decided to take legal action against the NIA as well as sections of the Indian news media for “character assassination” of its leaders and family members.
In a statement, Geelani said he didn't take up a political career for material gains or for his livelihood.
The statement said the resistance leadership “never feels shy or are afraid of any accountability in public.”
On Sunday, police prevented Geelani from addressing a press conference.
On Monday, the NIA summoned Geelani's younger son, Naseem Geelani, for questioning.
Earlier, his elder son, Nayeem Geelani, was also detained for questioning.
Nayeem was removed to hospital after he complained of chest pain. He had a heart surgery in the past.
The NIA is investigating separatist leaders and their aides for alleged transfer of funds from Pakistan to Kashmir.
To date, the agency has arrested seven aides and leaders that include, Nayeem Khan, Farooq Ahmed Dar alias Bitta Karate, Mehrajuddin Kalwal, Aftab Hilali alias Shahidul Islam, Gazi Javid, Peer Saifullah and Altaf Ahmed Shah alias Altaf Fantoosh.
The agency recently alleged that Mirwaiz Umar Farooq has amassed wealth and assets over the years.
Mirwaiz, after being prevented from holding a press conference, released a video to rebut the NIA allegations.
The video was also uploaded on the Facebook.
The statement issued by Geelani said he was prevented from holding a press conference.
It said the press conference was aimed at making aware the nation and the world about the reality of these allegations leveled by the NIA.
“The police and the state administration in a bid to appease their masters in New Delhi sealed off the entire residence-cum-office of Syed Ali Geelani and didn’t allow anybody to enter or to leave the office premises,” the statement said.
The statement said the police was meant to keep the people in the dark and to provide a chance to the Indian biased media for character assassination of the pro-freedom leadership of Kashmir.
“Indian authorities resorted to character assassination of the pro-freedom leadership and the services of agencies like NIA are being employed to defame (them),” the statement said. “Biased media is propagating cooked and fabricated stories.”
Rebutting charges of amassing assets disproportionate to the known source of income, the statement said daughters of Geelani are married and his two sons, Nayeem Geelani and Naseem Geelani, “have no illegal assets”.
It said negative propaganda and fabricated reports about properties” won’t help New Delhi, nor will they “dampen our spirits”.
“We are considering the details and will come with the actual figures to make people and the world community aware of the misinformation campaign and malicious propaganda of Indian authorities,” the statement said.
