Coward Separatist Leaders say they fear for life if summoned to New Delhi by NIA

Separatist leaders in Jammu and Kashmir today denounced the NIA summonses to them and expressed concern that they were being asked to come for interrogation to the national capital where they feared a threat to their life.

"Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Mohammad Yasin Malik strongly denounced the government of India for widening its ambit of so-called investigations by the NIA to harass and pressure the (separatist) leadership," the leaders said in a joint statement.

They also said the interogation process could be carried out in Srinagar itself, as there was a "very real fear of being harmed or lynched" due to the "hostile and anti-Kashmir sentiment" created by the government.

"As such, the leadership is seriously thinking that anyone who is served the notice by NIA for the so called investigation should not go to New Delhi," they said.

The separatist leaders said after raiding the houses of leaders and workers associated with the Hurriyat and some traders, arbitrary notices were sent to them by the NIA to come to Delhi for the investigation.

"In the meantime, family members and relatives of the leadership were also issued notices by the NIA. Now notices are being issued to prestigious and esteemed educational and social institutions such as Anjuman Nusratul Islam and Auqaf Jamia Masjid associated with the (Hurriyat) leadership," the statement said.

ET