Kashipur: A 28-year-old Kashmiri shawl seller, Bilal Ahmad Ganie, was assaulted and intimidated by men having links with Bajrang Dal in Uttarakhand’s Udham Singh Nagar.
Ahmad, who had been living in the Kashipur area of the district for almost a decade, was humiliated, assaulted and threatened to chant Bharat Mata Ki Jai.
A video has emerged where a man, identified as Ankur Singh, is heard saying, “Tu Bharat ka khaata hai, Bharat ka kamaata hai, Bharat mata ki jai bol, (You eat and earn from India, so say ‘Bharat mata ki jai’)”
He allegedly posted the video on his Instagram account and later deleted it.
Kashmiri political leaders and organisations have called for strict action against the assault.
The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) wrote to Uttarakhand‘s Director General of Police, urging for strict action against the accused men, claiming that they even threatened to take Ahmad’s life. “Despite his long-standing presence and peaceful conduct, he was brutally assaulted, his stock of shawls looted, and he was threatened with death,” the organisation wrote.
They appealed to Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to ensure an FIR is registered along with the arrest of those responsible. “Kashmiris are not outsiders in India. They are equal citizens and an integral part of this country, entitled to the same rights and protections under the Constitution,” requesting appropriate support for the victim.
Political leaders in Jammu and Kashmir also expressed concern over the assault.
National Conference (NC) Lok Sabha MP Ruhullah Mehdi said coercing any citizen to prove patriotism through compelled speech violates constitutional freedoms.
“Reports from Uttarakhand indicating that a Kashmiri trader was assaulted for refusing to chant a slogan on religious grounds are deeply troubling.
“Coercing any citizen to prove patriotism through compelled speech violates constitutional freedoms and human dignity,” The Lok Sabha MP from Srinagar said in a post on X.
People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti urged the Uttarakhand Police chief to ensure a case is registered so that the perpetrators are held accountable.
“Bilal Ahmad, a shawl seller, was brutally assaulted by right-wing goons in Kashipur, Uttarakhand. Despite approaching the Pratappur Goshala police station, no FIR has reportedly been registered so far.
“(I) Urge the DGP Uttarakhand to kindly intervene and ensure that an FIR is registered so that the perpetrators are held accountable, and such incidents are not repeated in the future,” Mufti said on X.
Mufti’s daughter and PDP leader, Iltija Mufti, said Mahatma Gandhi’s India “is on the verge of death”.
“Bajrang Dal workers thrashed a Kashmiri shawl trader only because he refused to chant Bharat Mata Ki Jai. Bajrang Dal, along with RSS, is a metastatic cancer that is making India sick. Gandhi’s India is on the verge of death,” Iltija Mufti said in a post on X.
(With PTI inputs)
