Pandits demand ban on beef in Muslim majority Kashmir

KL Report

SRINAGAR

KPSS is feeling aghast about the “non-action” and “silent approach” of the State Administration and particularly from the Municipality Health Officers for not taking any “action” against the beef shops which are openly functioning particularly in Srinagar and generally in the Muslim majority Kashmir Valley.

“Kashmiri Pandit Sangarsh Samiti (KPSS) feels that these activities are being deliberately done by the State Government with the help of un-scrupulous elements in the Kashmiri Society who want to make Kashmiri Pandits feel insecure on the socio-religious grounds,” KPSS President Sanjay Tickoo said in a statement.

He added, “as the situation in Kashmir is improving on security basis, the unscrupulous elements are now using worst tactics to harm solidarity by opening beef shops in the areas where Kashmiri Pandits are still residing to hurt our religious feeling and to promote enmity between classes and communities to provoke the breach of peace, that is developing, between the two communities, as this kind of act maliciously insults the religious belief of the Kashmiri Pandits.”

“KPSS wants to know how the Srinagar Municipal Corporation is allowing these people, who are slaughtering / processing / selling beef in Srinagar despite the fact when in a reply to the RTI  filed by KPSS dated February 19,2013 they have clearly stated that SMC has not given any permission / license to run a shop / place for slaughtering / selling of beef in Srinagar City within the Municipal Limits.”

KPSS has asked how the Concerned SHO’s of State Police allow this kind of act in their respective jurisdictions as same is forbidden in the State and is punishable under section 298-A, 298-B and 298-C (Ranbir Penal Code) read with u/s 153-A(1), 295-A and 504 of Ranbir Penal Code for slaughtering and sale of beef which is also threat to the tranquility between the society.

 “It clearly depicts that these concerned officers are hand in glove with these un-scrupulous elements to damage the social fabric so that they can force the left out Kashmiri Pandits out of Kashmir without executing any visible offensive tactics,” the statement said.

KPSS has warned all the functionaries of the State Government to act against these illegal things on priority basis, without any failure. “Else the matter will be dealt legally against them before the Court of Law for being facilitators of the same,” Tickoo concluded.