Srinagar: Chairman Hurriyat Conference (G), Syed Ali Geelani, on Tuesday said that rape and murder of minor Kathua girl, Asifa, has shaken the collective conscience of people of Kashmir.
Blaming state administration for their “callous and careless approach”, Geelani said that instead of taking swift action against culprits, people and Gujar leader, protesting against the gruesome incident, were arrested. “It illustrates their bigoted mindset.”
Geelani expressed heartfelt sympathies with the grieved family of minor and lamented police authorities for their “uncalled and unjustified action against the people participating in the Rasm-e-Chaharum of the victim.”
The octogenarian leader said that people in a peaceful manner were protesting against the brutal killing but they were manhandled, arrested.
“People whose hands are soaked in blood of innocents are responsible for humiliating and massacre of common people,” he said.
Meanwhile, Geelani also expressed his deep anguish and sorrow and denounced the “biased role of Indian media and criticized their criminal silence.” “They are making hue and cry over petty matters but in this case, they maintained silence and turned blind eye.”
He said people in outside states vandalize and ransack properties, however brute force is not used against them. “Quite contrary to this people in state, on mere pretext, they are arrested and subjected to humiliation and brute force.”
Geelani also expressed his deep anguish and sorrow “at the snail’s pace proceedings in 8-year old girl’s murder case” and urged the stringent action against those involved in her rape and murder.
Referring to the recent statement of Mehbooba Mufti wherein she has said that “women in state are safe”, Geelani said that it is an “illusion and instead women are molested, disrespected and humiliated by men in uniform.”