The incident immediately invited sharp reaction from chief minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed who is running a coalition government with BJP in J&K.
Growing face of intolerance by right-wing fringe elements came to the fore once again on Monday when Hindu Sena activists came rampaging inside the Press Club of India premises in the capital and attacked independent MLA from Kashmir Engineer Rashid by smearing his face with black paint and ink. They were protesting against his hosting a beef party in Srinagar earlier this month.
The incident immediately invited sharp reaction from chief minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed who is running a coalition government with BJP in J&K.
"In a vibrant democracy like India, we need to have courage to respect dissent and provide space to different points of view. The spate in unpleasant incidents such as this is most disturbing," Sayeed said.
Former CM Farooq Abdullah also said that PM Modi should look into who the perpetrators of this attack were.
The incident happened when Rashid was emerging out of the Press Club after addressing a press conference to protest against the fatal attack on two Kashmiri truck drivers in Udhampur over rumours of killing a cow on October 9. One of the drivers, Zahid Rasool Bhat, 18, succumbed to burn injuries on Sunday at Delhi's Safdarjung hospital igniting protests in Kashmir.
Shouting "Gau Mata ki jai" a couple of unidentified men came rushing to Engineer Rashid when he was about to leave the Press Club. The independent MLA had received massive opposition for hosting a beef party in Srinagar earlier this month.
"I do not eat beef, mutton, or chicken but that (the party) was a form of protest to tell the authorities not to interfere in anyone's religion and eating habits," Rashid had explained during the press conference.
Addressing the media after the attack Rashid said, "It is not mine, but PM Modi's face that has been blackened today...The world is watching where India, the land of Mahatma Gandhi stands today. These people (the attackers) are mentally sick. I want the whole world to see how these people are trying to muzzle the voice of Kashmiris." he said.
"Talibanisation is not just taking place in Pakistan. It is happening all over India too," added an angry Rashid.
During the press conference, Rashid attacked BJP and PM Modi for being silent against the growing violence by majority community and thus being partners in crime.
"If the UP government can be held responsible for Dadri incident, then BJP is equally responsible for the Udhampur incident along with its ally PDP," said Rashid demanding PM Modi to "publicly condemn" such attacks and "say sorry" for the loss of lives.
"Are we living in Hindustan of Mohan Bhagwat or Sakshi Maharaj? The Prime Minister talks of Talibanisation and radicalisation. I have a strong hunch that Sakshi Maharaj is an ISI prop. The PM should carry out an investigation…. And what is this happening in Jammu and Kashmir? Nobody is speaking. I request you with folded hands to highlight the plight of Kashmiris," Rashid told the media.
The relatives of the two truck drivers alleged that Mufti Sayeed government was "threatening, abusing and warning" their family members from speaking to the media.
They demanded stricter punishment to those behind the gruesome Udhampur attack.
"The (alleged) kingpin of the attack ex-councilor Pralahad Singh is still at large. Why is he not being arrested? The irony is that he is holding demonstrations in Udhampur for release of other five who have been booked by police. We want that the attackers behind this incident should be hanged like Afzal Guru (2001 Parliament Attack convict)," Rashid said.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Sheikh Abdul Rashid")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}