The Gujjar Bakarwal Muslims from Jammu region Monday alleged that BJP and RSS activists and leadership are harassing them in Samba and Kathua districts. They said that these parties forcibly want them to migrate from these areas. Talib Hussain, Chairman, All Tribal Coordination Committee while addressing a press conference here in Srinagar city said BJP and RSS have hatched a conspiracy against the Muslims of Samba and Kathua districts and they want Muslims to migrate from their respective areas. “Crime Branch said that Deepak Khajuria, the accused in rape and murder case of Asifa committed heinous crime to terrorize the Muslim tribal community, but the fact is that he can’t do it single handedly. He is backed by politicians particularly BJP legislator from Heera Nagar is supporting him and others like him,” Hussain said. He said that communal forces need to exposed who harass Muslims in Samba and Kathua districts. “BJP wants to secure its vote bank in these districts and that is why it is after Muslim community. BJP used Forest Minister Lal Singh to harass us who misused his power and forcible evicted Muslims from forest land. It is because of the BJP that government is not implementing the Forest Act that bars Forest Ministry to evict those people from Forest land who have been living there for generations. PDP is silent and not doing anything to get this Act implemented in the State,” he said.
Talib Hussain said that after the Asifa rape and murder case, BJP and RSS political activists in connivance with police have started finding new ways and means to harass the Gujjar community. “The irony is that government department officials are at the beck and call of these communal activists,” he said and added that only Muslims are being evicted from the forest land while non-Muslims are not touched. He alleged that in the name of forest beautification, BJP Minister Lal Singh has procured poles and other material from his brother who runs a factory to benefit him. “This Minister abhors Muslims while leaves no stone unturned in harassing them. BJP legislators from Kathua and Samba district are pursuing anti-Muslim policies,” he added. “To harass the Muslims, they once throw the head of a cow on the road and within 15 minutes at least 10,000 BJP, RSS workers assembled and started harassing us,” he said and sought intervention of Chief Minister. Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti should impress upon these communal forces not to intimidate Muslims in the Chenab region.