SRINAGAR: Engineer Abdul Rashid, the Independent MLA from Jammu and Kashmir’s Lolab area, on Wednesday received minor injuries in an attack on his vehicle by some Vishwa Hindu Parishad (VHP) activists on the outskirts of Bhaderwah town in Doda district. The legislator’s PRO also sustained some minor injuries.
The legislator was on his way to Doda town to address a rally when his vehicle was blocked by
VHP activists at Domail around 1.30 pm. Holding black flags and raising slogans against him for hurting their religious sentiments by organising a beef party in Srinagar last month, the group stopped his cavalcade and someone in the crowd threw ink and mobil oil on his vehicle.
While the MLA claimed that the police acted as mere spectators and didn’t stop the protesters, Bhaderwah Sub Divisional Police Officer Sajjad Khan said he had requested the MLA to sit in a bullet proof car, as there was apprehension of protests en route. “However, he did not agree and started shouting at us instead,” the police officer said. The police have, however, registered a case and have started looking for the assailants.
While the MLA said he hadn’t said anything which could hurt sentiments of any community, VHP’s district president Satish Kotwal said the Independent MLA, after hosting a beef party in Srinagar, now wanted to disturb the congenial atmosphere of Doda district. “We will not tolerate it at any cost. Our activists threw ink on him and showed him black flags,” Kotwal told the media, accusing Rashid of being a “mischief monger”.
Reference: indianexpress