New Delhi: In another incident of right-wing hooliganism reflecting the rising wave of intolerance that has put the Narendra Modi government under increasing pressure, a press meet by Independent MLA from J&K Sheikh Abdul Rashid, popularly known as “Engineer Rashid”, became a nightmare for him in New Delhi on Monday as some persons, allegedly from the right-wing Hindu Sena, blackened his face with paint, ink and mobil oil protesting against his hosting a “beef party” in Srinagar earlier this month.
The Delhi Police booked and arrested Deepak Sharma and Devender Upadhyaya in this regard. Both were interrogated and will be produced in court on Tuesday.
Mr Rashid had called the meet for a briefing on the attack on two truck drivers by a mob at Udhampur in Jammu on October 9 in which Zahid Butt died.
At the end of the meet, while Mr Rashid was on his way out, some activists shouting slogans like Gau mata ka apman, nahi sahega Hindustan (India will not tolerate any disrespect to the cow) pounced on him and smeared him with black paint, mobil oil and blue ink.
“They are mentally sick. I want the whole world to see this is how these people are trying to muzzle the voice of Kashmiris,” Mr Rashid said.
“I do not eat beef, mutton, or chicken, but that was a form of protest to tell the authorities that do not interfere in anyone’s religion,” Mr Rashid said during the meet.
Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayed condemned the attack and said the situation is “disturbing.”
