Srinagar: A day after All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC) expressed resentment over the silence maintained by separatist leaders over the killing of a Sikh youth, Joint Resistance Leadership (JRL) Thursday condemned the killing.
They said killing of any human being irrespective of the faith he belongs to deserves highest form of condemnation.
In a joint statement issued here, separatist leaders Syed Ali Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq and Muhammad Yasin Malik said many attempts were made to trigger a sectarian wedge and the Sikh community was targeted time and again but they always stood shoulder to shoulder with the majority community and the ongoing freedom struggle.
They said when the gruesome incident of Chattisingpora massacre of Sikhs took place in 2000, the members of Sikh community “showed wisdom, remained patient and defeated the anti-Kashmir agencies and people”.
“It is the collective responsibility of the (separatist) leadership and people to protect the minorities be that Sikhs, Hindus, and Buddhists as Islam also lay stress on protecting the members of minority community,” the statement said.
Simranjeet Singh was shot dead by suspected militants on January 4 in Tral area of Pulwama district.
Meanwhile, All Parties Sikh Coordination Committee (APSCC) on Wednesday expressed resentment over the silence maintained by Hurriyat leadership over the killing of Sikh youth, Simranjeet Singh from Khasipora Tral village of South Kashmir’s Pulwama district a few days ago.
The Sikh body in a statement said that a youth from minority community was killed in Tral but it is unfortunate that the pro-freedom leaders have so far maintained silence over it.
APSCC chairman, Jagmohan Singh Raina said that “though United Jihad Council (UJC) has said that “the youth was killed by agencies’ but they must use sources to identify those involved in the killing.”
He added that some vested interests are trying to harm the centuries old communal harmony in the Valley but “we won’t allow them to succeed as the people irrespective of their religion are living in the society in unison and are helping each other besides sharing their grief and happiness.”
