SRINAGAR DEC 25 : Political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday voiced strong concern over the alleged assault of a Kashmiri trader in Uttarakhand and urged the state authorities to take strict legal action against those involved.
National Conference MP Ruhullah Mehdi said reports that a Kashmiri trader was attacked for allegedly refusing to raise a religious slogan were “deeply troubling” and argued that forcing any citizen to prove patriotism through compelled speech undermines constitutional freedoms and human dignity.
He stressed that national loyalty cannot be imposed through intimidation and called on the Uttarakhand government to ensure accountability under the law and guarantee the safety and rights of Kashmiri traders in the state.
People’s Democratic Party president Mehbooba Mufti alleged that Bilal Ahmad, a Kashmiri shawl seller in Kashipur, was brutally assaulted by right-wing elements and claimed that no FIR had been registered despite him approaching the local police station, urging the state police chief to intervene and ensure a case is filed.
PDP leader Iltija Mufti condemned the alleged role of Bajrang Dal workers in the incident, saying the trader was thrashed only because he refused to chant “Bharat Mata Ki Jai”, and warned that such actions were pushing the idea of Mahatma Gandhi’s India towards “the verge of death”.
