Er Rasheed leads ‘anti-braid chopping’ protest
Handwara: Awami Itehaad party (AIP) President and MLA Langate, Engineer Abdul Rasheed Sheikh Thursday led an anti-braid chopping protest in Handwara area of north Kashmir’s Kupwara district.
The spokesman as per the statement issued here said that a large number of people participated in the protest.
Addressing the gathering at Main Chowk Handwara, Er Rasheed appealed all the stake holders not to make Kashmir a hub of conspiracies and added that they must restrain from destroying self respect and dignity of Kashmiri women for political goals.
“Government is duty bound to nab the culprits and find out the miscreants behind these shameful incidents. If the government fails in doing so, then the onus lies on it and its agencies as they are morally bound to protect the life and property of masses,” he said.
Amid heated slogans, Er Rasheed reiterated that he had nothing to hide and if NIA could be used to probe Kashmiri leaders just to stop them from talking about Kashmir resolution, why should not NIA be asked to investigate huge atrocities on Kashmiris including forced labour, custodial disappearances, custodial deaths, tortures and other shameless incidents committed by government forces during all these years.
“Using NIA selectively against Kashmiris has exposed the claims of PM Narinder Modi that Kashmir issue can be resolved by embracing Kashmiris. Similarly Home Minister’s periodic claims that centre is keen to resolves Kashmir issue doesn’t fulfil the purpose unless New Delhi doesn’t come out of confusions,” he said.
The fire brand Legislator appealed militants not to forget that they always claim a moral ground while fighting for their cause, as such they need not to do any such action which would create chaos or confusion among the masses.
However, he added that “those condemning the murder of Sarpanch in Shopian or any killing at the hands of militants do loose the moral ground when they justify the action of forces targeting properties and relatives of militants. While pro-resistance leaders always kept mum over the killings at the hands of militants, the mainstream leaders have been equally responsible when dozens of Jamat-i-Islami workers and those from other pro freedom parties were butchered by government forces and counter insurgents. As such, it is important that the politicians of all the streams revisit their traditional policies of selective condemnation and need to respect human rights and human lives of all humans.”
Er Rasheed said that the complete silence by main stream and resistance camps over his being summoned by the NIA has given an ample proof that he is neither an Indian nor a Pakistani proxy but speaks the voice of his conscience and that of his people.
He reiterated that seeking right to self determination by no means amounts to being anti-Indian as New Delhi is bound to agree to the demand of right to self determination sooner or later.
KV Correspondent
