Syed Ali Geelani praises militants, terms them 'bravehearts'

Srinagar, Jan 29: While the whole nation was paying tributes to Col MN Rai who lost his life in a gun battle with militants, Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Geelani was also paying his tributes, but to the same militants who died in the Trall gunfight.

In a statement, Geelani said: "The sacred blood of the martyrs will never go in vain and sooner or later India has to accept the ground realities regarding Kashmir."

He added that the Kashmiri youth have never opted for the violent path. "These children have witnessed the people's revolution in 2008 and 2010. The way in which India has reacted to this peaceful freedom movement of Kashmir, has disheartened the younger generation," he said.

Remembering the slain militants, Geelani said that these brave hearts of our soil are placing a heavy responsilibity on the nation. "It is now the moral and religious responsilibity of we people to carry forward their mission and no to indulge in any act which will have any possiblity of harming our sacred freedom movement," he said.

Meanwhile, Col MN Rai was cremated with full military honours in New Delhi. Geelani's statements were condemned by many politicians who criticised the Hurriyat leader.

OneIndia News