The All Parties Hurriyat Conference (APHC) has said police action on a Muharram procession has put a question mark on the sincerity of India to settle the Kashmir issue through dialogue, and accused the Mufti Mohammad Sayeed government of disrupting peace in the occupied State.
"Monday's police action against peaceful religious procession has put a question mark on the sincerity of India that it wanted to settle issues through dialogue," Hurriyat Chairman Maulana Abbas Ansari told reporters here.
He, however, refrained from reiterating his threat to pull out from the talks with the Centre, saying he would make efforts for changing the ground situation in the occupied State to pave the way for settling the Kashmir issue through dialogue.
Ansari said: "It has become extremely difficult for him to convince the people that the government of India is sincere in bringing peace and settling the Kashmir dispute through dialogue as there has been no change on the ground situation in respect of human rights violations in occupied State."
He said the Hurriyat executive would meet in the first week of March to decide how to proceed further in the talks.
Attacking the Mufti Sayeed government, he alleged that "the government which claims that it is working for restoration of peace in the occupied State is itself disrupting peace", adding Monday's police action has "exposed the tall claims" of the Mufti government of being a democratically-elected government working for restoration of peace with dignity in the occupied State.
Condemning the police action on Tazia processionists at different places in the city, he said 300 people from different political and religious organisations have been detained, and an equal number were injured in the lathi-charge and tear-gassing.
The superintendent of police was himself leading the policemen to beat up the processionists, said Ansari, adding: "All this happened despite our request to the authorities for permission for Monday's Tazia (mourning) procession."
Ansari ruled out meeting Centre's interlocutor N.N. Vohra, who is scheduled to visit here next week, there is no question of meeting Vohra.
Asserting that elections are no solution to the Kashmir issue, he said, adding: "Elections are not in our aims and objectives, as Kashmir problem cannot be settled through elections."
Asked whether the Hurriyat would give a call for boycott of the coming Lok Sabha elections, he replied in the negative, but hastily added that time alone would decide.
In reply to a question whether he has brought to the notice of the Centre Monday's police action, Ansari said he has not talked to anyone on this issue.
The Hurriyat chief, who has been placed under house arrest since this morning, said his amalgam was in favour of peace in the occupied State under which no one feels insecure.
"However, since the Hurriyat entered into a dialogue with Deputy Prime Minister Lal Krishna Advani, the situation has worsened and human rights violations as well as excesses on common people have increased," he alleged, adding this has happened despite assurances by the prime minister and the deputy prime minister that conducive atmosphere on ground would be created for talks.
Terming the police action as interference in religious affairs, Ansari said, adding: "It is difficult for me to convince people that India is sincere in the dialogue and settlement of Kashmir issue."
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