Geelani terms Omar's statement against him as 'absurd'

Hardline Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani today criticised Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah for calling the separatist leader a "threat to peace" and termed his statement as "absurd".

Hardline Hurriyat Conference chairman Syed Ali Shah Geelani on Tuesday criticised Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah for calling the separatist leader a "threat to peace" and termed his statement as "absurd".

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"Omar Abdullah's statement that I am a threat to peace is childish and absurd," Geelani said in a statement in Srinagar.

The hurriyat leader said his detention is "an act of political retribution" and that the chief minister has "virtually accepted political defeat".

Omar on Monday said that Geelani was by and large a free man but "restrictions have to be imposed" on his public functions as these are followed by violence.

"Whenever I had intervened in removing the restrictions on his (Geelani's) movement and public speeches, these have invariably been followed by incidents of stone-pelting," Omar told reporters in Srinagar.

Omar said if the separatist leader assured that there will be no law and order problem after his public appearances, he would get the restrictions imposed on him removed.