Mehbooba faces hostile crowds in Rafiabad
Javed Dar distributes relief cheques among bereaved families

Ahmed Ali Fayyaz

SRINAGAR, May 30: While MLA Rafiabad and Minister of State for R&B, Javed Ahmed Dar, today distributed cheques of relief from the state government among the families of the three youth killed by Army in a fake encounter, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President, Mehbooba Mufti, was forced to return to Srinagar by hostile crowds when she was on a visit in Nadihal village today.

Officials, not inclined to be identified, said that the PDP President, Mehbooba Mufti, and former Minister, Mohammad Dilawar Mir, were confronted by a hostile crowd and subjected to hooting amid pro-Azadi and pro-Geelani slogans when they were visiting the bereaved families at Nadihal. They said that the PDP cavalcade was forced to return to Srinagar when a number of youth resorted to stone pelting, causing damage to at least three vehicles.

DIG North Kashmir, Abdul Qayoom Manhas, and SP Sopore, Altaf Khan, did not respond to phone calls when efforts were repeatedly made to get a formal official version of the incident.

Reached over telephone for her comments, Ms Mufti told Early Times that “some people planted by the government and MLA Rafiabad” tried to create a scene when she had visited two families and was footing the distance to the third family. According to her, a group of people began shouting pro-Azadi and anti-Army slogans on sighting her going to the third family. “My colleague Dilawar Mir Sahab advised me to cut it short and return as he apprehended some trouble. He said that we had successfully called on the two families and there was no point in attracting trouble by insisting to visit the third family. Thereupon, we boarded our vehicles and returned”, Mehbooba said.

PDP chief asserted that none of the vehicles in her cavalcade was attacked or hit in the stone pelting. “It’s well possible when you jump into the fire some angry or planted people can throw the stones. It happens with us and all other political parties at several places. But, today there was no such attack. None of our vehicles was damaged. Nobody was injured. It’s possible that well after our returning from Nadihal, there was a clash between the group of demonstrators and Police”, she added. She asserted that entire government machinery was busy in circulating through e-mails and SMS an event that had never happened.

However, some mediapersons present in Nadihal village insisted that a hostile crowd forced Ms Mufti and Dilawar Mir to retreat with anti-PDP slogans followed by heavy stone pelting when she was going to address a gathering at the bus stand. They said that the demonstrators shouted pro-Azadi, pro-Geelani and anti-Army slogans.

Some of the residents also confirmed the ‘mild attack’ on the PDP cavalcade and explained that the two families Ms Mufti visited were followers of PDP leader and former Minister Dilawar Mir while as the third one was supporter of the NC MLA and MoS R&B Javed Dar.

Earlier in the morning, National Conference’s Rafiabad MLA and MoS of R&B and Health, Javed Mir Dar, called on the bereaved families. He was accompanied by DC Baramulla, Bashir Ahmed Bhat, SSP Baramulla, Shakil Beg, and other district officials.

Expressing his sympathies with bereaved families the Minister assured them that the persons involved in the heinous crime of killing three innocent civilians in a fake encounter under the label of militants would be booked under law and punished. Besides, the Government would provide every possible support to the bereaved families.

END