03Greater Kashmir SRINAGAR | December 26, 2015, Saturday

Malik takes out anti-VDC protestPolice resort to tear-gas shelling; JKLF chief, others detained; Clashes in Maisuma

ABID BASHIR

Srinagar, Dec 25: Police Friday resorted to tear gas shelling to foil the protest march of Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front led by chairman Muhammad Yasin Malik against the “reign of terror unleashed” by Village Defence Committees (VDC) in Jammu region.

Soon after Friday prayers, JKLF chief along with dozens of his supporters took out a protest rally at Maisuma here against the murder of mother-son duo by a VDC member in Rajouri district of Jammu on Thursday. As the Front activ-ists tried to march towards Lal Chowk, police swung into action and bundled Malik and other Front leaders into a vehicle and lodged them in police station Kothibagh.

Malik’s detention trig-gered protests in the area even as police fired tear gas shells at the protestors who were raising anti-government and pro-freedom slogans.

Some 13 JKLF leaders were lodged at police station

Kothibagh that included Showkat Bakshi and Noor Muhammad Kalwal. The pro-testing JKLF leaders were carrying placards display-ing slogans “Won’t accept the genocide of Jammu Muslims.” The protestors alleged that VDC members were enjoying full patron-age of New Delhi and the State government. The area witnessed massive clashes between police and protes-tors that continued for more than two hours.

Earlier talking to Greater Kashmir, Malik said he was shocked to see the “open terror being unleashed by the VDC members in Jammu region.”

“Yesterday, they killed a

mother-son duo and before that they killed another person. So from where come the claims of VDCs being established for self defence. They are killing Muslims of Jammu at their will and our protest is against open VDC terror,” he said. The JKLF chief said that there are 196 complaints pending in vari-ous police stations of Jammu region against VDCs. “The complaints are full of charges like murder and molestation. The state government has given them full impunity to kill anybody at their will.” He said it were the VDC mem-bers who set ablaze a truck in Udhampur which left a Kash-miri driver dead and another

seriously injured. “Recently, two more

trucks were set ablaze by the goons in Jammu and instead of punishing the men behind the act, police took drivers of the trucks into custody,” the JKLF chief said.

Malik questioned the ‘criminal silence’ of civil soci-ety of India over fresh wave of ‘terror being unleashed by the VDC members in Jammu.’ “The terror in Jammu region has further added to the inse-curity among the Muslims, especially those living in Chenab valley. We strongly demand that the VDCs should be disarmed forthwith so that people in Jammu can heave a sigh of relief.”

PIC: HABIB NAQASH/GK

Govt patronizing VDCs to suppress Jammu Muslims: Mirwaiz Umar

ABID BASHIR

Srinagar, Dec 25: Express-ing anger over the murder of mother-son duo in Rajouri district of Jammu region, Chairman Hurriyat Conference (M) Mirwaiz Umar Farooq Friday said that Village Defence Com-mittees (VDCs) have been given license by govern-ment to suppress Muslims in Jammu region.

He demanded immediate disbanding of VDCs stating that entire Muslim popula-tion of Jammu region was feeling insecure due to the “reign of terror unleashed by the government’s pri-vate army.”

Addressing a Seerat con-ference at Jamia Masjid here, Mirwaiz said, “After the formation of PDP-BJP government, there were already apprehensions that Mulsims of Jammu, espe-cially in Chenab valley, would face insecurity. Their apprehensions proved right. I believe VDCs is the private army of the government that is being used to kill Muslims of Jammu who have always been part and parcel of the freedom struggle.”

Mirwaiz said there seems to be no difference between Ikhwanis (government gunmen), Special Task Force of Police and VDCs as all of them enjoy full government patronage to kill people. “The job of all these groups

was and is to muzzle the voice of people.”

“We strongly condemn the killings by VDCs and demand immediate action against the guilty. It is sur-prising three people includ-ing a mother-son duo fell to the bullets of arms provid-ed to VDC members and yet there is no concrete action against them by the govern-ment.”

So far, Mirwaiz said, 200 murder cases stand regis-tered in various police sta-tions of Jammu against the VDCs. “We demand that the VDCs should be imme-diately banned without any further delay. We won’t act as a mute spectator if

government continues to shield the VDC members in Jammu,” he said.

Mirwaiz alleged the gov-ernment was using VDCs to target Muslims in Jammu. “I appeal to international bodies to the check the J&K government’s aggressive and suppressive policies against one particular com-munity. The world should break its silence and make the people at the helm in J&K accountable,” Mirwaiz demanded.

He also took a dig at the people who are hell-bent to malign the image of Islam and project this most peace-ful religion as intolerant. “Islam is most peaceful reli-

gion and preaches to respect other religions. Islam teach-es tolerance right from the time of Prophet Muhammad (SAW). Media is spread-ing hate campaign against Islam and Muslims across the world by portraying Muslims as terrorists and intolerant. Our beloved Prophet (SAW) has taught us to respect other religions and to be patient in tough-est times,” Mirwaiz said. “The teachings of Islam call for protecting the religious places of other religions and also to protect non-Muslims in Muslim-majority areas.”

Mirwaiz also condemned the killings in Nigeria, Syria and Yemen.

VDCs threat to communal harmony: Mian Altaf

VDCs are NC creation: Naeem Akhtar

Expresses deep shock over mother-son murder in RajouriJammu, Dec 25: Senior NC leader and MLA Kangan, Mian Altaf Ahmed, has expressed profound grief over the killing of a woman and her minor son by a VDC member in Budhal area of district Rajouri.

He termed the murder an eye-opener for the present dispensation in the State and vehemently demanded disbanding of VDCs.

In a statement issued here, he said that due to gov-ernment’s non-seriousness, three civilians have been killed by VDC members in a week in Rajouri. “Nation-al Conference has already demanded judicial probe into the killings but till date government has not taken any action.” He said that instead of taking stern action against VDC members, Ministers of Mufti-lead govern-ment are giving such statements which encourage the militia.

“The recent statement of Dy CM Dr. Nirmal Singh is highly condemnable.” The NC leader expressed his condolence with the bereaved family and demanded ex-gratia relief to the family members of the deceased.

He demanded that VDCs should be immediately disbanded in Rajouri. GKNN

Srinagar, Dec 25: As the voices demanding disband-ing of Village Defence Committees go shriller, the Government Friday said that the debate to disarm VDC members is going on.

Senior Peoples Democratic Party leader and Min-ister for Education Naeem Akhtar said VDCs are the creation of National Conference and this party wants PDP to undo all their wrong doings. “Why did not NC disband these VDCs when they were in power and why they opposed the idea of disbanding this militia that time? What NC is demanding now is their sheer duplic-ity. This party created SOG, Ikhwanis and all other non-State terror forces and, besides, this party trans-ferred power projects to NHPC. This party only added to the miseries of people of Jammu and Kashmir and now its leaders want PDP to undo their wrong doings,” Akhtar said.

Responding to a question, Akhtar said that it is surprising to see National Conference coming up with statements demanding disbanding of Village Defence Committees. “At least this party should peep into past and see whose creation are these VDCs. National Con-ference is responsible for the woes of the people as this party did nothing for the welfare of the people when it was in power. This party unleashed a reign of terror in Kashmir when it created and encouraged Ikhwanis. It was PDP that checked those Ikhwanis and even curbed the movement of dreaded Task Force. Why to blame PDP for their (NC’s) wrong actions. This government understands the aspirations of people and will do everything that will be in their interest,” he said.

Naeem Akhtar said that majority of the VDC mem-bers have already been disarmed. “In Doda district, 400 arms have been taken away from them. There are still some VDC members that are in possession of arms. Government has already started a debate to find out whether to continue with these VDCs or not,” he said. CNS

“Why did not NC disband these VDCs when they were in power and why they opposed the idea of disbanding this militia that time? What NC is demanding now is their sheer duplicity. (But) this government understands the aspirations of people and will do everything that will be in their interest.”

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