Srinagar
Accusing police and civil administration of turning into OGW’s of Sang Parivar and other “anti-Kashmir forces”, incumbent Langate lawmaker, Rasheed has condemned government for disallowing Friday prayers in historic Jamia Masjid Srinagar.
In a statement, Rasheed said, “It is strange that government is doing everything to facilitate Amarnath Yatra and ensure their safe journey but state subjects are being deprived of their religious rights.
“While government itself claims that Yatra is under threat of militants but it still is going uninterrupted, it is shameful that it can’t ensure congregational Friday prayers which hardly takes an hour to complete, despite there being no threat against devotees”.
Rasheed said that government has been more than cruel not only for common Kashmiris but to elderly Geelani and spiritual and religious leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq by curbing their fundamental and religious freedom. “Those preaching safeguarding and respecting dignity and honour of the women fail to answer why state is so scared of Asiya Andrabi that she has been jailed in a miserable cell at Jammu Jail”.
Rasheed rejected constituting of Special investigating Team (SIT) by J&K Police, for the reason that the security agencies are themselves under the clout of doubt over the incident. “It would have been proper to investigate the incident through some credible international agency, but New Delhi will never allow that as it has nothing to defend.”
However, Rasheed said, “If it could use NIA to humiliate resistance leaders for political ambitions, for the sake of investigation it should have handed over the investigation to NIA. Kashmiris reject any investigation to be carried out by SIT as they truly have lost faith in the credibility, sincerity and professionalism of security forces.”
