RAW, IB asked SAR Gilani about his position on Kashmir dispute

New Delhi, March 24, 2016 (PPI-OT):On February 17, a group of officials from the Indian intelligence agencies RAW and the Intelligence Bureau (IB) walked into detention cell of Kashmiri intellectual, professor SAR Gilani and asked him to explain his position on the Kashmir dispute.

Booked on sedition charge on February 16 for co-hosting an event at the Press Club of India to commemorate the hanging of Kashmiri martyred leader, Mohammad Afzal Guru, SAR Gilani was surprised to see that the intelligence officials were keen on knowing where he stood on Kashmir than what transpired at Afzal Guru’s memorial.

“The Press Club event was their least concern,” he said, adding that in case of Kanhaiya Kumar, the JNU student leader who was also arrested on sedition charges, it was just Delhi police that investigated the matter. “In my case, the entire Home Ministry was involved. I wonder why?” he asked.

Sitting relaxed in his recently renovated drawing room, SAR Gilani, who was released on Monday on bail, isn’t very worried about his latest case. “See, there is nothing against me. I have fought bigger battles in the past and this shall too pass.”

The professor said that free speech and the willingness to discuss uncomfortable ideas were under threat. “It is the present government which is on the path of Bharat ki Barbaadi. They are destroying India.” He said, “This time, I was deprived of sleep for more than 36 hours. My blood pressure shot up and the doctors told the police to let me take rest else it will take a toll on my health.”

After his classes got over on February 15 in Zakir Hussain Delhi College, Gilani with his police escort was on his way back home. He stopped at a petrol pump to get fuel and suddenly some men dressed in plain clothes gheraoed my car. My security escort took out his gun but I had asked him to stop. After that they took me to some basement in Haiderpur area instead of Parliament Street police station. I was kept there the whole night but not interrogated,” he said in a media interview. After he was moved to Tihar Jail, he was kept in High Security Ward — Jail number 1.

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