Riyaz Ul Khaliq
SRINAGAR
Asking Indian army to utilize its power to safeguard border, Independent lawmaker representing Langate assembly constituency in state legislature, Er Rasheed Wednesday put a question mark on army’s “Operation Sadhbavna”.
Talking to reporters on the side lines of a press conference he addressed this afternoon, Rasheed said, “army doesn’t have good intentions regarding Operation Sadhbavna.”
Post-1990s when Kashmir was hit immensely by insurgency and counter-insurgency operations, army started “Operation Sadhbavna” under which it is sponsoring tours for school going children, holds capacity building workshops, facilitates tailoring and other programs for women and of late, has also been holding ‘Kashmir has got Talent’ programs.
“Has army mandate do such things? And has army done all the things it was supposed to do?” Rasheed said while questioning the work done by the army which is mostly done in rural Kashmir.
He said that had “army been active Pathankot-like attacks would have been avoided”.
“They are saying militants come from Pakistan but how is possible when Indian army is safeguarding the borders and those officers should be hanged if such activity (militants crossing borders) happens,” he said.
While narrating his “begair” days, Rasheed said, “army is used to bungling and fraud in such cases. I was forced to do labour for them like my fellow village men and army would get bills for themselves against the work done by us.”
“Germany didn’t inflict such oppression which Indian army inflicted on us,” he alleged referring to “begair” days.
Further, he said, “if Operation Sadhbavna would have been successful—then there would have been no militants, nor such huge number of people who participate in militant funerals.”
Rasheed snubbed the army’s recent remarks where they said they took the Moulvis from Langate on a tour. “There was no Moulvi on board,” he said. “But you can’t stop anyone if he/she is willing.”
