Two Kashmiris selling dry fruits on the streets of Lucknow were assaulted by saffron clad men on Wednesday.
Police have said that arrested one person in the incident, after a video of him physically assaulting Kashmiri street vendors went viral on Wednesday, ANI reported. However, the leader of the attackers, Aniruddh Shyam, a member of Vishwa Hindu Dal, is still at large, and even went shared the video of them physically assaulting the Kashmiri men.
The video has now been deleted from his profile, but has gone viral though other profiles.
When a passerby asks the assaulters why they are attacking the two dry-fruit sellers, members of the Vishwa Hindu Dal say, “Because they are Kashmiris. They are the ones pelting stones in Kashmir.”
SHOCKING: Some goons in saffron kurtas throttle, assault a Kashmiri dry fruit seller in Lucknow. Passersby come to rescue of the Kashmiri. Case yet to be registered.
Hope @Uppolice @Igrangelucknow @lkopolice register an FIR and jab these goondas at the earliest. pic.twitter.com/zXjI3Anh2n
— Prashant Kumar (@scribe_prashant) March 6, 2019
While one of the Kashmiri men is seen crying as he is being beaten with sticks, the other is seen being asked to produce his identity card after some locals came to the rescue and stopped the attackers from further thrashing.
One of the assaulters, Himanshu Awasthi, self-proclaimed “former BJP politician” and member of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, posted videos and photos on his Facebook profile boasting about thrashing Kashmiris on the Daligunj Bridge in Lucknow.
Lucknow Police later said in a tweet that a case has been registered against the accused and necessary action is being taken.
SECOND video of the attack. These cries of this Kashmiri should make us all hand our heads in shame. Truly disgusted to see these clips. This is not the #NewIndia anyone can hope for. India is big, our hearts are bigger. Kashmir is our and so are the Kashmiris. pic.twitter.com/L7nXAqL2vf
— Prashant Kumar (@scribe_prashant) March 6, 2019
Kashmiris across the country were threatened and attacked in the aftermath of Pulwama attack which killed over 40 CRPF japans. The Kashmiri suicide bomber, Adil Ahmad Dar, was affiliated to Pakistan-based terror outfit Jaish-e-Mohammed.
Following the attack in Pulwama where 49 CRPF officials were killed in suicide attack claimed by militant outfit Jaish e Muhammad, Kashmiris have been attacked in many parts of India.
In one incident, two Dehradun colleges had given in writing that they will not admit any more Kashmiris students.
A doctor from Kashmir living in Kolkata was asked to leave or face ‘dire consequences’ following the Pulwama attack on a CRPF bus on Jammu- Kashmir highway that killed 49 personnel.
The doctor, who did not wish to be named, said some men gathered outside his residence and threatened to harm his daughter unless he “returned to Pakistan”.
A mob had also threatened to set a Dehradun college on fire if the institute didn’t terminate a Kashmiri dean. Abid Kuchay.
“The college asked for it. I agreed for the betterment of the college,” he had said. Abid’s resignation has been asked for his role of getting Kashmir students admitted in the college.
Moreover, four Kashmiri students were suspended by the National Institute of Medical Science (NIMS), Rajasthan. The second-year students — Talveen Manzoor, Iqra, Zohra Nazir and Uzma Nazir — were suspended soon after they shared as a WhatsApp status allegedly celebrating the killings of the CRPF personnel in the attack.
Later, all four were charged with sedition.
Aligarh Muslim University also suspended a Kashmiri student over a ‘highly objectionable tweet’.
Omar Saleem Peerzada, AMU PRO said: “We have come to know of the highly objectionable tweet. Taking immediate cognizance the student has been suspended by the university administration,” he said.
In one of the worst incidents, 15-20 Kashmiri female students had locked themselves in a hostel room in Dehradun after a mob surrounded the campus area, demanding the management to ‘throw them out of their rooms’.
Shazia Hamid, one of the students, had told Free Press Kashmir that she and other Kashmiri female students, fearing the mob, have locked themselves in a room.
Following Free Press Kashmir’s news story the women were provided safety by the Dehradun police who dispersed the crowd peacefully.
Earlier, former chief minister Omar Abdullah had appealed to the Home Minister of India Rajnath Singh to direct all state governments to take ‘special care of areas where Kashmiris as residing or studying.’
Following the reports of attacks on Kashmiris in various parts of India, Government of India had asked all the states to ensure safety and security of the students and people from Jammu and Kashmir.
