By News Desk
Udham Singh Nagar: In yet another hate crime, a Kashmiri man was brutally assaulted and threatened in Uttarakhand’s Udham Singh Nagar district.
National convenor of the Jammu and Kashmir Students Association (JKSA), Nasir Khuehami, said Kashmiri shawl seller Bilal Ahmad was brutally attacked in Kashipur by a group of Bajrang Dal goons, allegedly led by a local man identified as Ankur Singh. Ahmad has been living and selling shawls in the area for the past nine to 10 years. He was forced to chant ‘Bharat Mata ki Jai’, and when he refused, they started punching him on the face and head.
In a statement, the JKSA alleged that Ahmad was threatened
The students’ body urged Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami to immediately intervene, ensure registration of an FIR and order the prompt arrest of those involved. It also appealed to Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to take up the matter with his Uttarakhand counterpart and ensure protection for Kashmiri traders working outside the Union Territory.
The JKSA further sought the intervention of Union Home Minister Amit Shah, calling the incident deeply disturbing and a serious threat to national unity.
“Kashmiris are not outsiders in India. They are equal citizens and an integral part of this country, entitled to the same rights and protections under the Constitution,” the statement said, adding that targeting Kashmiri traders only deepens alienation and mistrust.
The association warned that incidents of violence, intimidation and communal hatred undermine the idea of India in Kashmir and serve the interests of forces seeking to divide society. It called for strict and exemplary action, stressing that the rule of law must prevail and that India’s strength lies in its unity in diversity.
asked to vacate the area and leave the state, his stock was looted, and he was even issued death threats. The association said he had been living peacefully within the local community and was not a newcomer.
This story was originally published in freepresskashmir.news. Read the full story here.