Srinagar
Condemning state government for banning thirty TV channels, AIP president Er Rasheed has said that the decision is unfortunate and speaks volumes about how the situation is being polarized by none other than the government itself.
In a statement, Er Rasheed said: “The ban on telecast of many TV channels is an attack on freedom of expression and ample proof that government is short of ideas as to how to deal with the situation. In fact, the security agencies are seeing the whole developments through the prism of law and order forgetting that their cosmetic measures will yield nothing except making people feel pushed to the wall. The imposing martial law against a particular thought and a particular community are horrible and such measures are bound to fail.”
“Government has already imposed a ban on many local TV channels in Kashmir and now even those channels which are purely telecasting religious programs are being banned. It seems that government is keen bent to malign the image of the majority community and thus want to avoid all discussions and debates on Jammu & Kashmir dispute. If Government is truly aware and concerned about hatred being spread by social and electronic media then one has a right to ask the administration that why doesn’t it ban those so-called national TV channels which spread venom against Kashmiris and create communal divide every evening,” said Er Rasheed.
Er Rasheed condemned banning of a news Portal for publishing Hizbul Mujahideen commander Manan Wani’s write up and said that lodging FIR against the news portal makes it evident that statecraft has neither understanding of issues nor does it want healthy debates ad discussions which are otherwise important to make an environment for the resolution of the issues.
Er Rasheed said: “One has every right to differ with what Manan Wani believes in or writes about his ideology and views but those calling militants, Pakistani agents and miscreants should have collected courage to present the counter the argument, if at all it had one, to prove Wani, who like many highly qualified scholars preferred to join the armed struggle after losing the hope in system and politicians, wrong.”
Er Rasheed also appealed the governor administration to reconsider its decision of appointing A K Sahani as additional advocate general and said that since Sahani has been defending the culprits involved in Asifa Rape and murder case, the government had no moral authority to appoint him as add advocate general.
