Independent legislator and AIP supremo Er Rasheed was “dragged and abused” as police detained him on Monday to foil his attempts to hold a sit-in outside the army headquarters at Badami Bagh in Srinagar.Rasheed was also planning to file a complaint at Ram Munshi Bagh police station to ask police to investigate the allegations against army of forcing people into unpaid labour.A spokesman said that police arrested about 50 persons along with Er Rasheed to foil AIP’s scheduled sit-in outside army headquarters Badami Bagh against "forced labour which army has been subjecting the people to from 1989 onwards.""Er Rasheed was detained on way to Badami Bagh and lodged in police station Raj Bagh. Heavy contingent of police stopped Er Rasheed, dragged him out of his vehicle and manhandled him," he said.He said that policemen hurled abuses at him and took him to police station Raj Bagh.“In response to Mehbooba Mufti’s confession that army and task force has subjected Kashmiris to unpaid forced labour for a couple of decades, AIP President and MLA Langate Er Rasheed will hold a peaceful sit-in outside army headquarters at Badami Bagh on Monday 29th August 2016 at 11.30 am followed by filing an FIR in Ram-Munshi Bagh Police station along with the evidences, asking police to investigate the allegations against army and punish the culprits,” the spokesman had said last night.
“Since Mehbooba Mufti has yet again confessed in New Delhi while talking to media today after meeting PM that army and police had been committing atrocities on innocent civilians and the same confirms our allegations regarding the crimes committed against humanity by security agencies, so government must act now without further delay,” he added.“Not only Mehbooba Mufti but state CID department in its report to State Human Rights Commission has confirmed that army had been using people of around 50 villages in district Kupwara as human shields and to forced labour from 1989 to 2003 but no action was taken on ground against the accused officers.”He said that it was our “moral and constitutional duty” to ensure that people get justice as SHRC hasn’t done anything during past six years over the issue in response to their petition, except for putting up the case for next hearing. (CNS)