BJP questions non-arrest of Geelani

Varanasi, Apr 29 (UNI) The BJP today questioned why separatist Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani was not yet arrested for organising a rally in Srinagar where anti-national acts allegedly took place openly.

Refusing to respond directly to the BJP's query, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil said that the Centre was not supportive of any such rally and was taking the matter seriously. ''A detailed response will only be given by the government in Parliament and not before the media which has been behaving more pro-actively than the opposition parties over the issue,'' he said.

Addressing a press conference former BJP president and senior leader of the saffron party Venkaiah Naidu questioned why Mr Geelani was not yet arrested, despite anti-India acts at his recent Srinagar rally.

''When BJP leaders like Vinay Katiyar and Sahib Singh Verma issue patriotic calls in J&K, they are termed traitors and cases of sedition are registered against them by the government. But when anti-India acts like anti-national slogans and fluttering of flags of banned terror groups take place at the rally of Mr Geelani, no action is taken against him and the state government remains a mute spectator by saying that the organisers of the rally organised the event without official permission,'' Mr Naidu added.

All this is part of the vote bank oriented politics of minority appeasement being pursued by Congress and other secular parties, he said.

''Recently the AICC president sent 15,000 letters to people from the Muslim community soliciting their support in the UP polls, which is a glowing example of the politics of minority appeasement,'' he added.

Raking up the Afzal issue, Mr Naidu asked Cong and other secular parties including the SP and BJP to come clear on the delay in the disposal of clemency petition of Mohd Afzal -- mastermind in the parliament attack who is facing capital punishment.

Meanwhile, Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil, in the city to campaign for Congress candidates of the May 3 assembly polls said, ''the centre is in no way supportive of the Srinagar rally and is committed to wipe out terrorism from the state.'' UNI