KASHMIR NEWS OBSERVER
In a shameful attempt Social Welfare Minister Sajad Lone and his colleague Bashir Ahmd Dar MLA Kupwara tried to physically assault Er. Rasheed during District Development Board Meeting at Kupwara today. However the timely intervention of other Ministers and MLA’s prevented situation from taking further ugly turn. The incident took place while Er. Rasheed reminded Govt. of its commitment to investigate last year Handwara massacre which had resulted in death of five innocents, within the stipulated time. He lashed out at Govt. for not fulfilling the promise, despite promising complete investigation within a month and not doing anything even after a year. He said that Mehbooba Mufti had promised jobs to family members of victims killed in the episode but it all proved just a false promise and her credibility got exposed. Er. Rasheed also condemned Govt. and lashed out at Ministers present in the meeting for spreading terror in the valley especially in Kupwara. Quoting examples, he said that 27 innocents from Nutnussa were detained, humiliated and tortured for days together at Baramullah just for seeking dead body of a slain militant. Er. Rasheed asked Ab. Haq Khan Rural Dev. Minister who was also in the meeting to explain what action has been taken against the killers of six year old Kaneeza in his constituency. Both Haq Khan and Sajad Lone accused Er. Rasheed of encouraging stone palters and acting like their spokesman. However Sajad Lone reacted sharply to Er. Rasheed’s remarks and called him a militant sympathiser and Pakistani Agent, which Er. Rasheed responded with counter charges. He accused Sajad Lone of cheating his people and selling Martyrs blood. He asked Sajad Lone to explain what does he stand for and whether he has deviated from the mission of his late father or not. This irritated Sajad Lone and his colleague Bashir Ahmad Dar used abusive language and both tried to physically attack Er. Rasheed, however they were stopped by the Ministers and MLA’s standing nearby to them. Er. Rasheed later left the meeting halfway as a mark of protest against the hooliganism of Sajad Lone and his colleagues.