Kashmiri dry fruit vendors were trashed up in Lucknow’s busy road by fringe right-wing groups. One of the assaulters shared the video online.
The hate crime occurred in the evening hours, the men who assaulted the traders can be heard in mobile videos saying that are doing it because they are from Kashmir.
Two men clad in saffron kurtas were spotted thrashing two vendors who were sitting on the road with dry fruits spread on sheets. The attackers beat the man with wooden sticks.
Locals from the area intervened and asked the saffron brigade to stop the assault.
SHOCKING: Some goons in saffron kurtas throttle, assault a Kashmiri dry fruit seller in Lucknow. Passersby come to rescue of the Kashmiri. Case yet to be registered.
Hope @Uppolice @Igrangelucknow @lkopolice register an FIR and jab these goondas at the earliest. pic.twitter.com/zXjI3Anh2n
— Prashant Kumar (@scribe_prashant) March 6, 2019
The police arrested one of the person, Bajrang Sonkar and a case of rioting has been registered against him. The main accused who claims to be the president of the Vishwa Hindu Dal was still not arrested, but he has been posting on Facebook. In his posts he accepts that it was he and his men who carried out the attack.
Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah tagged the Prime Minister and wrote, “Dear PM @narendramodi Sahib, this is what you had spoken against & yet it continues unabated. This is the state governed by your handpicked Chief Minister. Can we expect action in this case or do we file your concern & assurances as a jumla, meant to placate but nothing more? (sic).”
Since the Pulwama attacks that killed 40 brave CRPF personnel on the 14th of February last month, plenty of people from Kashmir were being targeted and harassed.
(The Pigeon Express – It’s shameful that for a handful of people, the entire community is being targeted. What’s even worse is that the government hasn’t taken any action against these assaulters, instead giving them refuge.)