A few dozen youths describing themselves as non-political staged a protest march on Gupkar Road in Srinagar on Friday, near the Chief Minister’s residence, against the alleged assault on Kashmiri youth Faheem Nazir by Congress workers in New Delhi.
The protesters argued that Faheem’s act of praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not constitute a crime. They maintained that the Prime Minister represents the entire country and not any single political party, adding that supporting him or being his fan should not be treated as an offence. The youths marched along Gupkar Road, raising slogans and reiterating their demands for accountability and justice. Jammu and Kashmir Police soon reached the spot, stopped them from proceeding towards the Chief Minister’s residence and dispersed the protesters. Faheem Nazir Shah, a Srinagar resident and self-described supporter of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, arrived at the protest site carrying a poster declaring himself a Modi fan and challenging the Opposition’s claims. He was allegedly surrounded, pushed, dragged and assaulted by workers of the INDIA bloc. Delhi Police subsequently registered an FIR based on his complaint.
The demonstration is the first of its kind witnessed in Kashmir, with youths taking to the streets to protest against a political camp to which all major political parties, except the BJP, are associated, according to the account of the protest.
The demonstrators demanded strict action and the registration of FIRs against those allegedly involved in the attack on Faheem during an INDIA bloc protest in the national capital. They also demanded an FIR against Congress leader and Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi, along with an apology from both Gandhi and the INDIA bloc over the incident.
