JAMMU: National Conference on Tuesday held Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti responsible for persecution and growing incidents of violence against Gujjars and Bakerwals in Jammu, saying that being incharge of the home ministry she has failed in enforcing rule of law and reining in the coalition partner BJP, which has let lose its various wings to unleash scare among minorities, an NC spokesman said in a statement.
“The organised attack on a hapless nomad family in Reasi should not be viewed in isolation, as it is part of an orchestrated campaign against the Gujjars which is manifested in uprooting them from the lands they have been inhabiting since decades,” Mian while addressing a press conference at Sher-e-Kashmir Bhavan here this afternoon.
Hitting out at the PDP, Mian Altaf wondered that the party which came to power on the plank of scrapping Task Force and ending atrocities of the police and security forces became perpetrators itself, which is evident by the prevailing grim scenario across the state, especially in the Valley. He said the PDP and BJP were superintending terror against their own people to satiate the agenda of New Delhi. The present coalition is deliberately disturbing the situation so that the people are subjected to harassment and humiliation. “The primary objective of the PDP-BJP is to remain glued to power, whatever the costs”, he added.
Mian Altaf Ahmed described the Reasi incident as most barbaric wherein a 70-year old Gujjar was subjected to torture by an unruly mob inside the police station. Instead of acting against the perpetrators of violence, the police remained mute spectators, which encouraged hooligans to pounce upon the elderly person like vultures. A young child is missing and the other members of the family including women got severe thrashing. He said the hooligans, which were the members of various wings of the BJP, got away with cattle and creating havoc on the family. He said movement of Gujjars towards high pastures and Behaks is a common phenomenon in Jammu and Kashmir, which dates back to the times of the Maharaja. “However, this time around, the RSS hooligans used the migration of live stock to the larger agenda of inciting passions”, he added.
The former minister decried the muteness of police and questioned the rationale behind lodging FIR against the Gujjar family.
Mian Altaf said the BJP is hugely using the PDP to extend its agenda in Jammu and Kashmir, which is manifesting in atrocities on the people. He referred to most scary situation in the Valley and said now students were being targeted brutally. “The atrocities on the innocent people are unprecedented”, he added.
