Reacting to paying compensation to those auto and sumo owners whose vehicles got damaged by unknown persons during the on-going situation, MLA Langate Er Rashid on Wednesday termed the move “politically motivated”.Rashid said it was “attempt to divide society” by using compensation as a “propaganda tool” against current mass uprising.In a statement issued this afternoon Rashid said, “one should not be under the impression that state government has truly felt the pain of those whose auto rickshaws and Sumos were burnt, as one has a right to ask the government what about the huge damages caused by police, army and other security forces in every nook and corner of state.”Rashid observed that government has not paid even a penny to thousands of youths, women and men who got grave injuries during the uprising, mostly at the hands of security forces.“By compensating just two Sumos or auto rickshaw owners Mehbooba Mufti and her blue eyed babus can’t be exonerated from state terrorism which they encouraged to break the will of people of J&K during last four months.
By principle, no one should object to compensating auto or sumo owners but if Mehbooba Mufti is so worried about people of the state then may one humbly ask her why didn’t next of kin of five martyrs who lost their lives after Handwara incident receive the compensation in accordance with the rules and regulations till date,” he said.He asked, “does government mean that those who suffered at the hands of state agencies don’t deserve sympathy and compensation?”“It needs not to be elaborated that state terrorism is the worst form of terrorism and from Kishtwar to Chowkibal and Kralgund to Kangan every hamlet suffered huge losses at the hands of security forces,” the MLA Langate said.Rashid asked Ms Mehbooba Mufti to “come out of pity power politics and realise that by compensating owners of few Sumos and auto rickshaws, the hatred against security agencies and India state will not end”.