Geelani announces 'million march' to counter Modi Rally in Kashmir

Hurriyat spokesman, Ayaz Akbar was quoted by the India Today as saying, "Over a million people will participate in the march and it will be a clear referendum that the people of Kashmir are with the freedom movement or they have changed with the time."

In his first visit to Kashmir post the BJP-PDP alliance government, the Prime Minister is scheduled to inaugurate the phase two of Baghlihar hydro-electric power project in Jammu, followed by a mass rally in Srinagar.

The Prime Minister is also expected to announce a 70,000 crore INR financial package to the incumbent state government.

Akbar said that the proposed rally will be peaceful and people will be free to choose from the two rallies.

"The million march of Hurriyat conference will in no way affect the public rally of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the people, who will be desirous to participate in his rally, will not be stopped or hindered," he said.

"Both the public rallies will decide how many people are with India and how many are in support of the freedom struggle. The Hurriyat Conference wants to give a peaceful message through this march to the world as well as the Indian prime minister that the freedom struggle of Kashmiris is not any terrorism or any communal movement but the people of Kashmir are running a just and genuine struggle for their birth and basic rights," Akbar added.

Confirming the status of their march, the Hurriyat leader said that the people of Kashmir are against any form of war and that the Prime Minister and his government should focus on fulfilling the promises made to them, both in national and international levels.