Awami Ittihaad Party (AIP) Chief and legislator Engineer Rashid was arrested by police along with his scores of supporters when his party tried to proceed towards Civil Secretariat to protest against the proposed plan of setting up a separate townships for Kashmiri Pandits in Valley.AIP had given a call to encircle the Civil Secretariat on the eve of opening of Government offices in Summer Capital Srinagar against the plans of government to setup separate colonies for Kashmiri Pandits.In a statement to CNS, the party said that Engineer Rashid, along with Chairman Sadia Haq, Abdul Majid Wani who is also the Father of famous martyr Ishfaq Majid despite restrictions and barricades moved beyond Batmaloo and raised forceful slogans against plans of providing separate colonies to Kashmir Pandits.
“AIP Protest March was intercepted by a large personnel of Police near Fire Service Headquarters and offered stiff resistance but police used brute force to quell the protests in which four AIP Workers were injured and Party President Engineer Rashid along with scores of party workers was lodged in Shaheedgunj Police Station. After a while, all these AIP Activists and Party President Engineer Rashid was kept in house arrest at residence of Engineer Rashid.”AIP Spokesperson termed the use of force as uncivilized and brute and stated that the act has proven that the vision of State Government with reference to settling Kashmiri Pandits is flawed cannot be implemented and reaffirms the point that Delhi envisages Kashmir just as its colony.
AIP Spokesperson said that they warn Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed not to implement those policies aimed at harming geographical, cultural and linguistic identity of Kashmir. “Such visionless steps should not be taken which force people to protests and then Government is forced to revoke them back. State Government taking back decision to issue State Subject reflects the victory of peoples power. Similarly, Government at Delhi would be one day forced to accept the genuine demands of people of Kashmir.”While stating that AIP is not against return of Kashmiri Pandits, AIP Spokesperson made it clear that the Party stand is clear that Kashmiri Pandits should not use insane language of abolishing article 370 and give divorce to perks and packages. AIP Spokesperson also stated that Kashmiri Pandits should recognize the fact that one lac Kashmiris have laid their lives for seeking plebiscite in Kashmir and Pandits should respect the aspirations of majority community. (CNS)