Brutal assault on an 18-year-old Kashmiri shawl seller in Uttarakhand has sparked outrage across Jammu and Kashmir with political leaders and others demanding strict action against the perpetrators and halt to such incidents in other parts of the country as well.
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday spoke to his Uttarakhand counterpart, Pushkar Singh Dhami, over the incident in the hill state. Dhami assured Abdullah that an FIR will be registered and that strict action will be taken against the perpetrators.
Expressing concern over the incident, Omar urged the Uttarakhand CM to ensure the safety and security of Kashmiri residents and traders working there. Dhami, in response, conveyed that the matter is being dealt with on priority and that the police have been directed to act swiftly.
The office of CM Omar Abdullah wrote on X; “Chief Minister spoke with the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Uttarakhand, @pushkardhami, regarding the incident of assault on a young Kashmiri shawl seller in Uttarakhand and urged him to take strict action against the perpetrators”.
“@pushkardhami assured that strict action, including registration of an FIR, would be taken in the matter and safety of J&K residents will be ensured,” CM’s office added.
In a separate post on X, Omar Abdullah said such attacks on Kashmiris were unacceptable. He wrote; “This recent series of attacks including in Himachal Pradesh and now this one are unacceptable and must stop. It can’t be claimed that J&K is an inalienable part of India while people from Kashmir, in other parts of the country, live in fear for their lives. My Government will step in where ever necessary & will do whatever is needed to ensure these incidents are not repeated. I hope Home Ministry, Govt of India will also sensitise other states on the same lines”.
PDP leader Iltija Mufti posted on X pictures of the injured shawl seller and wrote; “This 18 year old Kashmiri shawl vendor was assaulted in Uttarakhand with irons rods till his bones crumbled. It’s one of many acts of violence against Kashmiris in India where perpetrators know they enjoy institutional impunity. These are NOT fringe elements anymore. BJP is actively mainstreaming the ‘fringe’ which is no longer on the periphery”.
“Sir @pushkardhami can we kindly request you to take action? @ukcmo @DIPR_UK @uttarakhandcops”, she added.