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SRINAGAR: The veteran Kashmiri Hurriyet leader, Syed Ali Gilani calling for a complete shutdown on August 15 said that India had no moral or legal right to celebrate its Independence Day as long as it continued to occupy Jammu and Kashmir.

Syed Ali Gilani in a statement pointed out that India’s troops had unleashed a reign of terror against the Kashmiris right from its occupation of the territory in 1947.

“New Delhi has broken the promises (it had) made to the Kashmiris, usurped their human and democratic rights,” the statement said.

Gilani appealed pro-freedom people to boycott all functions arranged by New Delhi in connection with the day.

He maintained that the authorities were politicizing education by pressurizing students of colleges and schools to participate in India’s Independence Day programmes on August 15.

He paid glowing tributes to the Kashmiri leader, Sheikh Abdul Aziz on his fourth martyrdom anniversary, which is being observed on Saturday.

He said the best way to pay tributes to the martyrs was to continue struggle for freedom without feeling tired.

The veteran leader appealed to the Imams to throw light on the sacrifices offered by the people in their Friday sermons.

Terming Kashmir as a police state he said, “Scorers of innocent Kashmiris have been put behind bars under draconian laws and people are sliced to death like carrots and radishes.”

The Kashmiri leader also called for observing 17th August as ‘Youm-ul-Quds’ to express solidarity with the Palestinians.

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