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Questioning Jammu Kashmir Liberation Front chairman Yasin Malik's recent decision to share the stage with Hafiz Saeed, the mastermind of the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, in Islamabad, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh leader Ram Madhav on Tuesday said the Centre should take due note of this act and take very strong measures to send a message to him and persons of his ilk.
Madhav said the RSS has been maintaining right from the maintaining that this whole propaganda that the Hurriyat Conference is a big liberal and all that is all fraud.
"It is actually very much a pro-separatist, pro-terrorist outfit. Its soft face is only for public consumption. In reality, it has been an anti-India, pro-separatist force in the valley. And any number of previous instances was there when its members had gone over to Pakistan to meet with the separatist leaders there. Now, their senior most leader Yasin Malik himself is seen hobnobbing with one of the topmost criminals wanted by our country, a very notorious terrorist Hafiz Saeed," said Madhav.
"The Government of India when it says that it is very much serious about tackling terror, it is very firm on tackling terror etc., you should take due note of this act of Yasin Malik and take very strong measures to send a message to him and all his ilk. It's not enough that you just impound the passport. The government has to show that it is determined not to allow such forces to operate on the soil of this country," he added.
Information and Broadcasting Minister Manish Tewari has expressed concern over the entire incident, and said that the concerned authorities would certainly look into the matter.
"Hafiz Saeed is a main accused in the 26/11 Mumbai attack case, and he needs to be brought to book. And it is matter of concern if some one shares dais with him. Concerned authorities would apply themselves to look into the matter in a proper manner," said Tewari.
The Bharatiya Janata Party had on Monday took on the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre and Union Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde over the news of Malik sharing dais with Hafiz Saeed in Islamabad.
"It is required to know that what was he (Malik) celebrating with Hafiz Saeed after killing and mutilation of our soldiers along the border. The government and the Home Minister must answer that why they are not taking proper action against these anti-national separatist leaders," said BJP spokesperson Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.
"Strong action must be taken against these people who, despite living in India, associated with the deferent terrorist organisations involved," he added.
Malik, a moderate Hurriyat leader, was on a hunger strike over the weekend in Islamabad to protest against the execution of 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru . Hafiz Saeed also joined him on the stage.
According to certain media reports, the government is now considering to seize Malik's passport on grounds of national security. A probe would also be conducted into Malik's visit to Pakistan and he will be questioned by the security agencies as soon as he returns to India.