KL Report
SRINAGAR
Amid shutdown and clashes, NC patron Dr Farooq Abdullah addressed people at North Kashmir’s Bandipora district castigating BJP and PDP of being the followers of same ideology.
Youth fought ding-dong battles with the police on Thursday ahead of Dr Farooq’s visit in the district. Reports added that youth in groups assembled in the main market of Hajin and protested against the visit of NC patron in the area. Shopkeepers downed their shutters and transport services affected at large.
At main bridge of Hajin, the groups of youth stopped the vehicles ferrying NC supporters and made them to return without joining rally of the NC leaders. Eye witness said that the youth were checking the identity cards of the pedestrians crossing the Hajin Bridge and they were looking for NC supporters.
Meanwhile, Dr Farooq flanked by senior NC leader Mohammad Akbar Lone, Lok Sabha candidate for Baramulla Sharief-ul-Din Shariq addressed the people. He stated that the policies of PDP have always been against the interests of the state and that the credit the party is taking for the opening of Mughal road and Muzarrafabad route is a mere ‘hoax’. “The reality is that NC strived for the opening of the road links and since 1974 our party took strong steps to resolve Kashmir.”
NC patron stated that earlier when he visited Pakistan- he urged the then establishment of the country to have cordial relations with India so that the settlement of the pending issues could be looked into. “If PDP claims to have opened the Mughal road, why Mufti didn’t ever tried to travel via the route. It was my son Omar who drove the vehicle on the Mughal road.”
He also took a jibe at BJP’s prime ministerial Narendra Modi claiming that his policies are anti-Muslims. “He (Modi) wore every cap except that of a Muslim. His agenda is the ethnic cleansing of Muslims and we won’t let that happen,” said Dr Farooq, adding that PDP is the reflection of Modi in the state and that every vote for PDP gets counted in Modi’s account.
Later, when NC leaders left the venue, the clashes between protesters and police erupted again in Hajin area of Bandipora. Reports informed KNS that police had to fire several rounds of bullets in air to disperse the mob that turned violent during the clashes. Also some tear gas shells were also fired to thwart the protests.
