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Chandigarh:
Kashmiri separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq was roughed up by
displaced Kashmiri Pandits and Hindu right-wing activists at a
seminar here Thursday for his alleged anti-India comments.
The Chandigarh police arrested 21 accused, including seven women,
and booked them for rioting. Those arrested included over a dozen
Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) activists. They were later released.
Hurriyat Conference leader Mirwaiz, who was inside the conference
hall of the Kisan Bhawan in Sector 35 here, was manhandled by
displaced Kashmiri Pandits and Hindu right-wing activists. Bilal
Lone, another Hurriyat leader, was also attacked by the agitated
protestors.
During the seminar, at least a couple of protestors jumped on the
conference table and attacked the Mirwaiz. He was sharing the dais
with leaders of other political parties, including the general
secretary of Shiromani Akali Dal, Prem Singh Chandumajra.
The organisers immediately jumped in to save Mirwaiz. There was
total chaos inside the hall for close to 30 minutes as the
protestors shouted slogans against the Mirwaiz, the Hurriyat
Conference and Pakistan.
The protestors also pelted stones, and hurled flower pots. Many
mediapersons and other people, who had come to attend the seminar,
also sustained injuries in the melee.
Chandigarh police rushed in more constables to control the
situation at the venue and the attackers were dragged outside the
seminar room.
"We will not allow any anti-India activity here. We will protest
against it," one of the activists said as he was being taken away
by the police.
Zameel Qazim, general secretary of the International Democratic
Party (IDP), which organised the seminar to discuss the Kashmir
issue, told IANS: "Mirwaiz just started speaking when the attack
took place. They attacked him without provocation."
Another IDP leader, S.S. Sanyal said: "Those who led the attack
were not Kashmiris." However, Mirwaiz said that he was not hurt
with this incident.
"I am not hurt. I am totally fine. We were sitting here to discuss
things. If they had something to share, then they could raise the
issue and it can be debated. For every problem there is a solution
and it was the main aim of this round table conference," Farooq
said.
"I cannot comment on anything about the security arrangements as
it is the duty of the organisers. But here in Chandigarh, I am
quite satisfied with the security part. See, you cannot stop
anybody if he is coming with some wrong intentions," he added.
BJP activists, led by Chandigarh unit president Sanjay Tandon and
former member of parliament Satya Pal Jain, staged a protest
sit-in outside the police station here in Sector 36, and demanded
the release of their party workers.
However, sensing trouble, over 200 police personnel were mobilised
at the police station to control the situation. Police also
resorted to cane-charging and used force to disperse the BJP
activists, who had gheraoed the police station here in Sector 36.
"We are examining the recorded video tapes," said Naunihal Singh,
senior superintendent of police, Chandigarh.
BJP activists blamed the Chandigarh police of favouring the
accused.
"Chandigarh police is acting in very irresponsible manner. Instead
of arresting those people, who made anti-India comments, they have
illegally detained our workers," said Tandon.
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