Srinagar, Jan 13: Muslims residing in Hari Chek village of Tehsil Mahreen in Kathua district of Jammu region were assaulted and fired upon by the Hindu zealot Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) workers led by a local Sarpanch for slaughtering a cow in the village.Muslim Shoora Committee in Kishtwar area of Jammu also held a protest led by Imam Jamia Masjid Kishtwar, Farooq Ahmed Kitchloo against attacks on the Muslims in Kathua. All but 10 houses of Muslims are located in the village and when according to eyewitnesses Hindu extremist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) armed with lathis and country made rifles entered into the village, they roughed up a couple of Muslims. As soon as all the Muslims came out from their houses, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh activists fired upon them injuring at least five persons including a minor girl. “These Hindu zealot Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) workers were led by village head (Sarpanch)government soponsored Deesa Chek Mr Rakesh Kumar who recently arrived in the area after visiting Indian state Gujarat. Rakesh not only instigates his workers against Muslim population but is also behind the attacks on Muslims in the past. He happens to the resident of Deesa Check, a village where in-laws of BJP so-called minister Lal Singh reside. Rakesh is active supporter of Lal Singh and senior leader of RSS,” an eyewitness told news agency CNS adding that instead of taking action against the culprits, the police authorities targeted Muslims who were protesting against Hindu extremist RSS workers hooliganism.
This village Hari Chek village of Tehsil Mahreen is close to the Indian state Punjab border and dozens of Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) workers from Punjab have also penetrated into this area. We fear for our lives and anything can happen during the night hours,” said another local who identified some of the injured as Beena Akhtar and Sirajuddin.
According to local Muslims, RSS workers accused them of cow slaughter, a charge they vehemently refuted. “There was no cow slaughter and the attack was pre-planned. These Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) members just want to disrupt communal harmony. RSS workers are still present in the village and police is unable to initiate action against them,” Talib Hussain, president Gujjar Bakarwal Students Welfare Association president said.
The joint resistance leadership comprising Syed Ali Gilani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik expressed solidarity with the victims of vandalism and highhandedness of fascist forces in Jammu region strongly condemning the attack by Hindu fanatics on Muslims in Kathua. They said that these hapless Muslims are living under the stigma of fear psychosis for the last 70 years as their ancestors have been butchered mercilessly under the watchful eyes of the tallest traitor of this unfortunate land and since then they are brutalized, traumatized and throttled on one pretext or the other.