Hours after the death of Syed Ali Shah Geelani, he was buried on Thursday amid much drama.
Srinagar:
The Jammu and Kashmir Police has uploaded a series of videos of the last rites of separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani on social media. The 92-year-old was buried heavily on Thursday.
The video was released after rumors that he was essentially buried without a bath and that his body was forcibly taken away from his family. Mr Gilani was buried before dawn and his family could not perform the last rites.
Visuals from the cemetery during the burial of SAS Gilani. pic.twitter.com/ndvcHx5xtG
— Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) September 6, 2021
One of the videos shows a group of people cleaning the body and covering it. This is followed by funeral prayers and the burial of the body at the Hyderpora graveyard, a few hundred meters from the late leader’s residence.
However, the police defended the move, saying that the family had initially agreed to the burial at night, but later changed their mind, forcing the police to do so.
After the death of SAS Geelani, IGP Kashmir Mr Vijay Kumar along with the SP and ASP met both his sons at their residence at 11 pm, condoling them and for the larger interest of the general public due to possible major L&O situations in the night. requested for burial. Both agreed and asked (1/4)
— Kashmir Zone Police (@KashmirPolice) September 6, 2021
“However, three hours later, probably under pressure from Pakistan and the miscreants, they behaved differently and started resorting to anti-national activities, including body draping in the Pakistani flag, shouting pro-Pakistan slogans and asking neighbors to come. was involved in provocation. Outside,” Kashmir Zone Police tweeted today.
On Sunday, police registered a case under the Anti-Terrorism Unlawful Activities Prevention Act against some relatives of Mr. Geelani for wrapping his body in the Pakistan flag.
“After persuasion, the relatives brought the body to the cemetery and cremated it with respect to the members of the Intizamiya committee and the local Imam. The refusal of both his sons to come to the graveyard was against the Pakistani agenda instead of their love and respect. Was a sign of loyalty. To his late father,” tweeted the police.
The family, on its part, alleged that the police broke down the doors, misbehaved with its members and forcibly took away Mr. Geelani’s body. A series of videos showing police action has gone viral on social media and messaging platforms.
While some questioned the appropriateness of the police releasing videos of their version of the events four days later, others criticized them for filming the rites in the first place.
Earlier, former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Mehbooba Mufti and Hurriyat leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq criticized the government for “misbehaving” with Mr Geelani’s body.
“From the videos I saw, and the statements made by Geelani’s family, it is unfortunate that the body was abused and desecrated,” Ms Mufti said.
“It is sad that a dead person was not treated with respect. We cannot do vendetta politics on the body of a dead person,” the PDP chief said. He said that the last wish of a convict who is sentenced to death is also respected.
The Mirwaiz expressed grief over the treatment allegedly meted out to Mr. Geelani’s family.
The Hurriyat Conference president said, “It is painful and appalling. It is very sadly inhuman when a family is denied the basic right to bury their loved one and one can only imagine what the family must have gone through. “
Tense calm has prevailed for the last four days. Restrictions have also been lifted from most parts of Kashmir. Police, however, said mobile internet would remain suspended in Srinagar till tomorrow.
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