NEW DELHI — A delegation of the All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) said it visited “victims of hate crime” in Uttarakhand’s capital Dehradun, and have also written to President Droupadi Murmu drawing her attention to what it said was a rising trend of attacks and violence across the country against religious minorities.
In a statement issued here, the AIKS said a delegation led by General Secretary Vijoo Krishnan visited Kashmiri shawl sellers Tabish Ahmad Gani, Danish Ahmad Gani and their family in Paonta Sahib who were the victims of “religious profiling and communal attack by Hindutva goons” in Vikas Nagar in Dehradun.
The AIKS has also written to the president on the matter, it said.
Tabish, an 18-year-old Kashmiri youth suffered serious injuries after he was allegedly assaulted by a group of people while he was selling shawls in Uttarakhand’s Dehradun district on January 28. There have been reports of Kashmiri shawl sellers being harassed and roughed up in some other states as well.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah raised the matter with his Uttarakhand counterpart Pushkar Singh Dhami and urged him to take strict action against the perpetrators.
In a post on X, the Office of Chief Minister, J&K, said that Dhami has assured that strict action, including registration of an FIR, would be taken in the matter. Dhami has also ensured the safety of J&K residents, the CMO said.
Subsequently, the prime accused in the case was arrested.
The AIKS said Tabish suffered serious head injury and fracture of his shoulder while one of Danish’s arms was fractured. Both are students of 10th standard in Kupwara, Kashmir, who were helping their family by selling shawls during their winter vacations in Vikas Nagar, Dehradun, when they were attacked, it said.
“The BJP-led state government of Uttarakhand has not taken strict actions against the culprits considering the sensitivity of the violence that has the potential to wreck the national unity and communal amity of the country or provide any medical assistance to the family,” it said.
“The state government is responsible for creating such an atmosphere of hatred. The delegation assured that all legal and medical assistance will be provided to the victims,” it said.
Uttarakhand Kisan Sabha leaders Rajendra Purohit, Kamruddin, Purushottam Badoni and SFI State President Nitin Maleta were part of the delegation.
“AIKS calls upon all working people to be vigilant against neo-fascist forces that seek to divide the people and offer the country’s resources to imperialism. All patriotic people should unite to defeat the forces that are dividing the people and surrendering the sovereignty of the country,” it said.
It added that the AIKS has written a letter to Droupadi Murmu, the President of India, requesting her attention on “increasing attacks and violence” across the country against religious minorities, especially Muslims and Christians.
“The growing attack on people from Kashmir in different parts of the country is a matter of serious concern for all patriotic minded citizens. AIKS requested the president to take cognisance of the organised communal hatred propagated by leaders of the ruling party and their affiliated vigilante groups and direct the Union government and the Supreme Court to ensure effective and stringent legal actions to end hate crimes at once,” it added. — (PTI)