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| Saraf, Mattoo deny having conveyed any message from BJP to Geelani | | | Early Times Report
JAMMU, Apr 20: One Kashmiri Pandit political activists and belonging to Ram Vilas Paswan's LJP, Sanjay Saraf, has denied reports suggesting that he had met Syed Ali Shah Geelani and conveyed a message from BJP and its Prime Ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi.
Sanjay Saraf has admitted that he had met Geelani recently just to enquire about his health as he had gone to New Delhi for treatment adding that he had never conveyed any message from the BJP or its Prime Ministerial candidate, Narendra Modi.
Saraf has said that he has been meeting Geelani of and on and has even shared the platform with him.
The Pandit activist said that he had been instrumental in arranging a meeting between Geelani and Ram Vilas Paswan in the past and now that LJP is part of the NDA he had not conveyed any message to Geelani.
Intelligence agencies and other Government circles have identified one of the two visitors as Sanjay Saraf, a Kashmiri Pandit activist who represents Ram Vilas Paswan's Lok Janshakti Party in Jammu and Kashmir and heads its national youth wing.
The second visitor was Raman Mattoo, a former legislator from old-city Srinagar's Habbakadal neighborhood, who is also active in Kashmiri Pandit politics.
Geelani had said on Friday that the envoys were both Kashmir Pandits, but declined to identify them, saying the March 22 meeting took place after an assurance was given confidentially.
Saraf admitted that he had met with Geelani in Srinagar four weeks ago, but said the visit was prompted by concern over the ageing leader's ill-health.
"Though my Lok Janshakti Party is now part of the National Democratic Alliance", Saraf said, "I have never carried any messages on behalf of the BJP, and would never do so". "I have met Geelani not once but dozens of times", he added, "and have also taken Paswan to speak with him. I intend to ask Geelani to name the people he met and to clear my name".
Saraf has long been associated with Geelani, sharing a platform with him at multiple meetings where the veteran Islamist leader has reached out to the Pandit community. Last year, Saraf also campaigned for the release of Mushtaq Ahmad Bhat-a hardliner ally of Geelani, who is in prison for his alleged role in the violent street mobilization which rocked Kashmir in 2010. |
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