Independent legislator from Langate, Abdul Rashid Sheikh Alias Er Rashid Thursday evoked laughter scenes in Lalchowk by protesting in his typical style.Rashid had brought a cow, a goat, a dog and a horse to “show the world that animals in India have more rights than people of Kashmir”.The legislator and his supporters had brought these domestic animals, with posters inscribed with slogans ‘I am Sangh Parivar's cow’, ‘I am more secure than Kashmiris, ‘I am Rashtrapati Bhavan’s horse, I am more secure than Kashmiris’, ‘I am Mahatma Gandhi’s goat, I am more secure than Kashmiris’.”
Led b Rashid, the protesters marched from Sher-i-Kashmir Municipal Park to Lalchowk.As they moved ahead with the domestic animals, commuters, shoppers and passerby burst with laughter. Even the policemen deployed to thwart the protests could not control their laughter.
However, on reaching near Kothibagh police station, police swung into action and detained the legislator, his supporters and also the domestic animals. They were lodged in police station Kothibagh here.“This protest is to remind people that there are more rights to animals than Kashmiri’s in India. We know how killers of Gowhar are roaming freely. Yesterday, it came to fore that an army man has kidnapped civilians in Machil and there are countless other examples to illustrate how India does not respects human life in Kashmir,” he said.Rashid said that by contrast, animals are more respected across India. “People in India kill you for eating cows,” he said. “Today on the World Human Rights day, we take out this protest to let the government know how it is neglecting the human rights of Kashmiris.” (KNS)