Mainstream political and religious leaders, along with social activists in Jammu and Kashmir, have strongly condemned the recent attacks on Kashmiri shawl sellers and vendors in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
On Friday, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq expressed deep shock over the incidents, describing the brutal assault on two Kashmiri shawl vendors in Uttarakhand’s Vikas Nagar as part of a “disturbing pattern of communal profiling” against Kashmiris outside the Union Territory.
Addressing a congregation at Srinagar’s Jama Masjid, he specifically highlighted the case of 18-year-old Tabish and his brother, who were attacked with iron rods, sustaining grievous injuries.
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) general secretary Ashok Koul also condemned the assault on a minor Kashmiri shawl seller in Uttarakhand on Friday, calling it “unfortunate and wrong” and asserting that every citizen has the right to travel and conduct business anywhere in the country.
Koul noted that Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Prime Minister Narendra Modi had already condemned the incident and that the party unequivocally denounced such acts.
He added, “These incidents must not happen in the country, and they reflect a narrow mindset.”
Earlier, on Thursday, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah described the attacks on Kashmiri vendors in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh as “unfortunate”. He reiterated that the Jammu and Kashmir government would continue to assist youth in building a start-up culture within the Union Territory.
The Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA) termed the situation “not merely administrative negligence, but a serious lack of political will”, warning that such incidents could deepen alienation and damage the “idea of India” in Kashmir.
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