SRINAGAR: 27,AUG,2012 Stating that congress is no different from rightwing Hindu groups, Hurriyat Conference (G) chairman Syed Ali Geelani Sunday apprehended that increase in number of Amarnath Yatris and arrival of large number of non-resident labourers in Kashmir is taking place under a conspiracy to change the demography of Kashmir. “We are being labelled as communalist if we speak anything about yatra. This false notion is spread by those, who are responsible for Babri mosque demolition, riots against Muslims in Gujarat, Assam and other places,” Geelani said while addressing Eid Milan gathering at his Hyderpora residence. He said some years back only few hundred yatris used to visit Amarnath Cave but now lakhs of yatris visit the cave every year and this year their number stood at 6.5 lakh. “Why Government of India (GoI) is doing it? They are doing it to strengthen their occupation on Kashmir by giving an impression that it is their own land. It is also meant to boost morale of the Army in Jammu and Kashmir so that they can believe that Indian people are with them,” he said. Geelani said Congress is no different than right wing parties like BJP and RSS, who want to impose Hindutva and its symbols on Muslims in India and Kashmir. “During the Congress governments, 40,000 anti- Muslim riots have taken place. Now how can they teach us this secularism. Congress follows the plans of BJP and RSS to impose Hindutva,” he said. The octogenarian leader said there are four lakh non-local labourers in Kashmir. “The arrival of non local laborers in Kashmir was “planned” and it was also aimed at changing demography of the State. There is every possibility that they would be given citizenship one day and Kashmiri Muslims would be reduced to minority in their own State,” he alleged. Referring to the sectarianism, he said it was an effort to weaken the society and torn apart the Muslim traditions to control the Kashmir territory by “divideand rule”. He appealed people to collectively face this challenge and defeat the enemies of Islam and Kashmir. “If people fail to comprehend the seriousness of the issue they were bound to suffer,” he said. Misaki Ukwat (charter of brotherhood) was released on the occasion. It was signed by all Ulemas and Muslim scholars of the State. They have taken pledge that they will work for unity of Muslims. It readsthat the Ulemas will not raise sectarian issues from pulpits of mosques and outside. “The Ulemas would continue to work for “movement” and will not raise any issue that would hurt Kashmiri cause,” it said. Hurriyat (G) chairman said Kashmir was not facing any economic problem as was being projected by some pro-Indian politicians. “Kashmir has only one problem and it is occupation. Army is occupying thousands of Kanals of land in Kupwara, Shopian and South Kashmir. Land is shrinking for us,” he said adding army had occupied 28 lakh kanals of land in the state. “Army has occupied land in Bijbehara. They informed that the land was transferred to them in 1980. In 1980 Sheikh Abdullah was the Chief Minister of the State,” he said Geelani said people talking of change were misleading the masses. “Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah too talked of change when Hari Singh was ruler. When the situation and circumstances dethroned Hari Singh, people who were opposing him got the throne. They subjected people to worst kind of atrocities and torture. What we didn’t see in Hari Singh’s rule we saw it in their rule,” he said. He alleged that some police officers achieved notoriety for subjecting people to torture.“I won’t budge from my stand even if I would have to face the gallows,” added Hurriyat (G) chairman.