Srinagar: Hundreds of Awami Itehaad Party (AIP) workers Tuesday staged protest against what they termed as the ‘assault’ on its president and Langate legislator, Engineer Abdul Rasheed Sheikh inside the Assembly yesterday.

Led by party senior leader Zeeshan Pandith, the protesters were holding black flags and banners raising slogans condemning ‘hooliganism’ of Dy. Speaker Nazir Gurazi, NC leader Mohammad Akbar Lone and others.

Amid anti-government sloganeering, the protesters marched from Sher-I-Kashmir Park towards Lalchowk, but were stopped by a heavy contingent of police near Pratap Park (Press Colony).

While talking to media persons on the occasion, Party Spokesman Adv. Maajid Banday condemned the incident and demanded unconditional apology from the assembly speaker over the issue.

“Er. Rasheed has successfully exposed his fellow legislators time and again for their failures over various issues pertaining to development and governance. His blunt and sincere representation of sentiments of people of Jammu and Kashmir though has earned many enemies, but AIP is committed to represent sentiments of people of the state the way they deserve to be represented,” he said.

Party senior leader, Zeeshan Pandith said that “if a legislator is not spared inside assembly for telling truth then what is the difference between a fish market and the assembly.”

He warned government of dire consequences and appealed masses to understand the difference between what Er. Rasheed has been doing in and outside assembly and what other legislators are doing.

Appealing people to come forward and strengthen AIP, Zeeshan said that AIP is the only force that can replace those political forces who have been misleading the world community and New Delhi by representing New Delhi in Kashmir and always downplaying and diluting Kashmir issue.

Zeeshan justified Er. Rasheed’s decision to boycott the remaining session of the assembly and said that the decision should open the eyes of those talking about resolving Kashmir through democratic means.  

Guest