New Delhi: The Kashmir Committee today (November 13) blamed fire-brand Jamaat-e-Islami leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani for causing split in Hurriyat Conference but advised the Centre to hold talks with him "if at any time he sees the wisdom of getting on to the negotiating table".

Breaking his silence over the split in the Hurriyat Conference for the first time, chairman of the Committee Ram Jethmalani said in a statement, "The Kashmir Committee is unhappy about the unhelpful posture of Syed Ali Shah Geelani, leading to cleavage and break-up of Hurriyat Conference into two."

Geelani cannot be impervious to the worldwide revulsion against terrorism nor can he be ignorant of international law, which denies the honour of freedom fighter to anyone using murder and mayhem to secure political concessions from a Democratic regime, said Jethmalani, whose seven-member Committee has held several rounds of talks with Hurriyat leaders including Maualna Abbas Ansari, Abdul Gani Bhat and Mirwaiz Umer Farooq.

"Even so, the Government should have no objection to talking to Geelani at any time he sees the wisdom of getting on to the negotiating table as the Government had already held talks with militant groups like Hizbul Mujahideen," Jethmalani said.

PTI