NEW DELHI: Amid the ongoing disruptions in Parliament, MP Baramulla Er Rashid on Friday strongly protested against mass detentions and the bulldozing of residential houses (of militants) in Kashmir.
“As soon as the House assembled, Er Rashid entered the Well of the House and protested against mass detentions and the demolition of residential houses in Kashmir,” the AIP said in a statement issued here.
While the entire Opposition, led by Rahul Gandhi, was protesting over the NEET issue and demanding the resignation of the Union Education Minister, Er Rashid lashed out at both the INDIA and NDA alliances. “He wanted them to understand that when they claim Jammu and Kashmir to be the crown of India, why do they treat it like a colony and crush that crown under their feet,” the statement said.
During the protest, Er Rashid urged Leader of Opposition (LoP) Rahul Gandhi to stand by the people of Kashmir. Rahul Gandhi assured him that he would stand with Kashmiris, the AIP said.
MP Er Rashid said, “We feel the pain of the family of the policeman Ashiq Hussain Qureshi who was killed in the Anantnag militant attack. Above all, he was one among us. But how can you justify the arrest of 2,500 people and the bulldozing of residential houses? Nobody in this country speaks about Kashmiris and the state oppression against them. You have tried to silence our voices through illogical arguments and the use of brutal force. You have created a martial law-like situation in Jammu and Kashmir.”
He further said: “Is our blood so cheap that we are being killed, humiliated and tortured simply because we are demanding the restoration of our legitimate political rights? The use of force against protesters in Delhi is equally condemnable. But why, in similar situations, are Kashmiris not even allowed to express their pain on social media? The incidents in Delhi have once again raised serious questions about whether New Delhi truly treats Kashmiris as its own people. While policemen were being ruthlessly thrashed on the streets of New Delhi, the response remained within the framework of law and order. In Kashmir, however, when an unidentified militant attacks a policeman, cases are registered against thousands of people and entire communities are subjected to suspicion and punishment.”
The MP added, “How is it that Kashmiris are made to face every form of suppression despite having committed no offence, and are subjected to collective punishment, while in other parts of the country similar situations are explained away in the name of democracy, free speech, and personal liberty? Is justice meant to have two different standards?”
Addressing the Treasury Benches, Er Rashid reminded Union Minister of State Dr. Jitendra Singh about the killing of an auto driver, Arif Hussain, in Baderwah, which falls in the Minister’s home constituency. Describing it as a cold-blooded killing by the police, Er Rashid said, “Before talking to Sonam Wangchuk and offering him juice to break his fast, Dr. Jitendra Singh must answer how Arif Hussain was killed in cold blood in Baderwah. He did not utter a single word against that killing.”