Lashing out at state government for using every immoral, illegal and brutal measure to suppress the voice of people of Jammu & Kashmir, AIP Supremo and MLA Langate Er. Rasheed has asked Mehbooba Mufti to step down if she cannot protect the life and honor of people. Er. Rasheed had to lead a protest march in Srinagar today against the Shopian killings and failure of the government to nab the real culprits involved in the shameful incident at Kathua resulting in brutal murder of 8 year old Asifa, but was placed under house detention since early this morning. Addressing a press conference at his residence, Er. Rasheed accused BJP of giving communal twist to Kathua incident. Er Rasheed said, “While the local population of both the communities were united to condemn the incident, unfortunately MLA Hiranagar Deepak Sharma and MLA Samba DK Malyal visited the village Rasana later in the evening and held deliberations with people of one particular community and things changed all of a sudden. SHO concerned was forced to reveal that the accused arrested is a juvenile”.
Er. Rasheed added that there can be nothing shameful than the fact that Asifa was not allowed to be buried in graveyard at 'Kota Mode' where the local Muslims had purchased the land for the graveyard and nearly one dozen Graves already existed there. The bereaved family was forced to bury the dead body at Bandi some 7 kilometers away from her native place.Er. Rasheed said, “Not only that real culprits are roaming free, but one Deepak Sharma working as SPO at Hiranagar police station is wreaking havoc in entire Muslim population and has got shamelessly full patronage of the local administration. Even the water supply of the population has been cut off. While whole India stood with Nirbhaya but not even a single voice comes in support of Asifa, thus proving yet again that neither Indian media nor Indian Civil society gives even a damn to what happens in Jammu and Kashmir”. Er. Rasheed also questioned his detention and said that police has crossed limits and is doing everything to suppress the voice of masses. He also rejected Mehbooba Mufti's revelations in the assembly about Shopian killings and reminded her that lodging FIR against culprits is not job of Nirmala Sita Raman but that of an SHO and she should restrain from hiding her failures and rather own them. Meanwhile a deputation of AIP including District president Kulgam Dr. Ab. Bari Nayak and Distt. President Shopian Haji Mohammad yousuf visited the families of slain youth in Shopian and offered condolences with the bereaved families. (CNS)