BJP demands action against Yasin Malik for sharing stage with Hafiz Saeed

New Delhi: Domestic politics has broken out over Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (JKLF) chief Yasin Malik's visit to Islamabad where he shared stage with the key conspirator of 26/11 attacks and Lashkar-e-Toiba chief Hafiz Saeed on Sunday in Islamabad at an event organised to protest parliament attack convict Afzal Guru's hanging.

The Bharatiya Janata Party has demanded that Malik's passport be forfeited as punishment for having been part of an anti-India platform. "The whole country was angry when they saw Hafiz Saeed and Yasin Malik sharing a dais. It's an anti-India platform, why did India allow him to go? The government needs to come up with an action plan, they must forfeit his passport and take action against him and tell the nation," BJP leader Prakash Javadekar said.

But no decision has been taken on Malik's passport yet. The Ministry of External Affairs has said that there is no direction from the Home Ministry on Malik yet and no request for report from the High Commission.

The government too, has condemned Malik's interaction with a terror organisation. Meanwhile, the valley remains under curfew for the fourth consecutive day.

Yasin reportedly fasted in the protest and urged leaders from PoK to organise public protests. But speaking to CNN-IBN, Malik denied any links with Hafiz Saeed. "There were many people assembled at this site. People from the Pakistan civil society were also present. A person was on a hunger strike and many people were present there so where does the question of sharing the stage arise," asked Malik.

Congress spokesman Sandeep Dikshit urged the UPA government to look into the issue which was described as "very unfortunate" by Union Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari.

Responding to queries as to whether any action will be taken against Malik for sharing dais with the chief of the Pakistan-based terror outfit Lashkar-e-Taiba while sitting on a hunger strike in Pakistan, Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said, "I will look into the case."

The Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front(JKLF) leader currently on a private visit to Pakistan and Saeed came together to mourn the execution of Afzal and shared the dais.

BJP's Jammu and Kashmir unit demanded that the separatist leader's Indian passport be cancelled. Tewari said the sensitivities with regard to Saeed should be kept in mind by people holding an Indian passport whether they are separatists or nationalists.

(With additional information from PTI)