Srinagar: Opposition National Conference on Saturday took out a protest rally against the ruling PDP-BJP government’s “failures” in catching the culprits behind braid chopping incidents.
Party General Secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar led the protesters as they marched from party headquarters Nawa-e-Subah. They were intercepted by police near SK Park and were not allowed to move towards city center Lal Chowk, a party spokesman said.
Addressing the workers, Sagar said that the government was in complete knowhow of who the real culprits are but “still they continue to maintain silence on this conspiracy.”
“It’s the government which has to ensure protection of our mothers, sisters and daughters but (it) has failed miserably to ensure their protection. The PDP-BJP leaders are only interested in clinging to their chairs which has been their primary goal ever since they came into power.”
Reminding Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti of the explosive situation Kashmir, Sagar said: “It’s not only our party which is on roads all over the Valley but others too have joined the movement of reminding this government of its primary responsibility which is to protect the lives and dignity of its people. Every right thinking individual, whether it’s the civil society, mainstream opposition leaders or the religious leaders, all have spoken against government’s inability to tackle such the continuous spree of braid chopping incidents.”
Still nothing concrete has been achieved by the government so far even after more than 100 incidents of braid chopping, he said. “We have been on the forefront of reminding this government but they seem to be on a mute mode.”
Senior party functionaries including Vice President Chowdhary Mohammad Ramzan, Provincial President Nasir Aslam Wani, Treasurer Shammi Oberoi, North Zone President Adv Mohammad Akbar Lone, MLA Iddgah Mubarak Gul, MLC Ali Mohammad Dar, MLA Homshalibugh Ab Majeed Bhat (Larmi), MLC Showkat Ganaie, Provincial Secretary Showkat Ah Mir, District President Srinagar Peer Afaq Ahmad, Provincial Vice President Mohammad Syed Akhoon, Sardar Jagdish Singh Azad, Tanvir Sadiq, Irfan Shah, GR Naz, Dr M Shafi, Haji G M Dar, G N Bhat, YNC Provincial President Salman Ali Sagar, Provincial President Women’s Wing Shameema Firdous, Younus Gul, Ahsan Pardesi, Mushtaq Guroo, Mudassir Shahmiri, Sameer Iqbal Bhat, Sabiya Qadri and others participated in the rally.
“Being the mother of two daughters, it’s really shocking how Mehbooba Mufti continues to ignore the pains and agony of our women folk. She has completely given in to the elements who have wrecked havoc in our society and has so far failed to take necessary measures to contain this explosive situation which has reached to such crescendo that male members are not leaving their homes anymore fearing for the safety of their family members who have been left at the mercy of god in this government,” the leaders said.
Carrying play-cards, national conference workers demanded the government to intervene into incidences of braid chopping and immediately bring culprits to book. “This government has proven to be a complete failure on every front and has no right to remain in power.”
The protesters also shouted slogans against what they called “glaring confusion within the different ranks of the government machinery where on one hand police is calling the incidents as mass hysteria while the women’s commissions is saying something else.”
“It’s time for them to sort out the confusion and do real work on ground rather than confining themselves to issuing rhetoric statements,” the spokesman added.
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