Masarat Alam 'political prisoner' or terrorist? asks Congress

Congress leader Manish Tewari on Sunday questioned Prime Minister Narendra Modi over tagging top separatist leader Masarat Alam as a 'political prisoner' adding that there was no difference between the Indian government's outlook and that of Pakistan's if the former did not perceive Alam as a terrorist.

"The fundamental question which the Prime Minister should answer is Masarat Alam a political prisoner or a terrorist? If he is a political prisoner then, that it is precisely what Pakistan also says, then what is the difference between our government and Pakistan?"Tewari told ANI.

"It is a very peculiar situation, in Srinagar the BJP-PDP government releases him, in Jammu, they protest against him and in Delhi they evade the question. It raises a spectre, is Masarat Alam the new poster boy of BJP's nationalism?" he added.

Meanwhile, condemning the release of Alam, Randeep Singh Surjewala demanded an answer from the Prime Minister on the issue.

"Will the Prime Minister of the country Narendra Modi answer what is his stand on the issue? Whether Prime Minister will take adequate step to ensure that such retrograde things which threaten the peaceful atmosphere of the state of Jammu and Kashmir? Will he check this?" he added.

Alam was released from Baramulla prison following the new government's policy to free political prisoners who do not face criminal charges.

Alam is the chairman of Muslim League, a constituent of hard-line Hurriyat Conference led by Syed Ali Shah Geelani and is widely seen as the latter's successor.

He had been convicted for organizing an anti-India protests resulting into the death of 112 people in stone pelting across the Valley during 2010.