Two days after two Kashmiri men selling dry fruits were assaulted by a group of men linked to a right-wing fringe outfit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday condemned the incident and said the attack was carried out by some ‘misguided people’, while appreciating the timely action taken by the UP government. While speaking at a public rally in Kanpur, PM Modi also urged other states to take strict action against such incidents and appealed for maintaining an atmosphere of unity.
Two Kashmiri men selling dry fruits in a Lucknow market were assaulted and verbally abused on Wednesday evening by a group of men linked to Vishwa Hindu Dal, a little-known local religious outfit. Five men were arrested Thursday in connection with the incident, including the two main accused who have been identified as Bajrang Sonkar and Amar Mishra, and the Dal’s president Ambuj Nigam.
Sonkar has a “criminal history”, with around 12 cases registered against him, including charges of theft, loot and murder, said police. The victims were identified as Afzal Nayak and Abdul Salam Nayak, both residents of Kulgam in J&K. A video of the incident went viral on social media showing some saffron-clad men assaulting a Kashmiri man with sticks. Congress president Rahul Gandhi also condemned on Friday the violence against Kashmiris traders and said that India belonged to all its citizens.
Taking to Twitter, the Congress leader posted a video of the incident and lauded those who “challenged the attackers”. “While I’m disgusted by this video of Kashmiri traders being attacked in UP, I salute the braveheart who challenged the attackers. India belongs to its citizens, from every corner of our nation. I strongly condemn all acts of violence against our Kashmiri brothers and sisters,” the posted on the micro-blogging site.
