Harassment of Kashmiris in other states is matter of national security: Sajad Lone

Srinagar: Peoples Conference chief Sajad Lone on Saturday said "harassment" of Kashmiris in some parts of the country should be treated as a matter of national security, and urged the lieutenant governor and chief minister to intervene in the matter.

"This behaviour against Kashmiris in the rest of the country should not to be taken lightly. This is a matter of national security," Lone, the MLA from Handwara, said at a press conference here.

His remarks came in the wake of the alleged assault on a Kashmir trader, a shawl seller, in Uttarakhand.

Lone said the Kashmir natives who venture outside the Union territory for livelihood are the ambassadors of national integration, and believe their economic security rests with India.

"Then they return here as the ambassadors of India. Today, you are ending these relations of envoyship. What will they say today when they come back after facing assaults," he questioned.

The Peoples Conference chief said the Centre should not take the issue of harassment or assault of Kashmiris lightly.

"If the top leadership of the country thinks it is a small issue, it is a matter of great concern... If our children are in jail under the UAPA for liking a post on Facebook, what stops the Government of India from putting these rouges and thugs behind bars under UAPA or PSA?" he said.

Lone appealed to the Prime Minister and the Union home minister to treat the issue as a matter of national security.

"I appeal to our defence minister that all these brave people (those accused in assault of Kashmiris) should be deputed at our borders with China and Pakistan. If they are so brave, let them fight there. They are showing their bravery to a shawl seller who is merely earning his livelihood," he jibed.

The Handwara MLA also appealed to Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to take up the matter with the respective state government and request them to charge the accused under the Public Safety Act (PSA) "as these people are opposed to integration, and are sending a wrong message", questioning, "Is the PSA only for Kashmiri Muslims?" Lone asserted that the alleged assault of Kashmiris across the country "cannot be relegated to normal tweets or statements".

"The L-G is responsible for law and order, and this can have an impact on it. It is time he picks up a phone and talks to the chief ministers (of respective states). Chief Minister Omar Abdullah should do the same. Please call the state administrations and say that such excesses should not take place against the people of Kashmir," he said.

If such incidents do not stop, "all the leaders of the Union territory should at least think about holding a protest in Delhi", the Peoples Conference chief said.

To a question about separatist leader Mirwaiz Umar Farooq dropping his designation as chairman of Hurriyat Conference from his social media bio, Lone described it as "nonsense", and said common Kashmiris were facing jail just for liking or commenting on a post on Facebook.

He sought an apology from the Mirwaiz over being abused and tagged an "agent" when he shun separatism and entered into the mainstream.

"When I came into the mainstream, I faced abuses, and was labelled as an agency man. If not publicly, if they feel ashamed, they should apologise to me over phone. I was made a target of character assassination. Much was said about me by these very people," Lone said.

To a question about the Jammu and Kashmir High Court rejecting a PIL filed by PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti seeking the return of undertrails from jails outside the Union territory, Lone said, the subjugated people did not need mediators to take up their issue with the courts.

"I am convinced that madam (Mufti) is enacting a drama," he jibed, saying the victims should approach the courts themselves and seek redressal.

"The court should look at the plight of the victims. This whole practice of sending them outside the state violates their human rights. We can provide legal assistance but we want the victims to go forward. We will certainly facilitate any legal aid," Lone said.