Sopore: Former MLA, Er. Rasheed today asked New Delhi to introspect and tell Indians how Maqbool Bhat and Afzal Guru’s hangings helped Indian state.
Addressing a seminar here, organized by his party AIP, Rasheed said: “While New Delhi has a history of broken promises, it was Maqbool Bhat’s hanging, not alleged rigging in 1987 elections that persuaded youth to pick up arms. Those claiming 1987 rigging as reason for start of armed insurgency are distorting facts. In fact Mqbool Bhat’s hanging was aimed to terrorize Kashmiris but New Delhi had a huge miscalculation and his hanging proved counterproductive.”
Er. Rasheed appealed people of India to understand that hangings have deteriorated the situation further and whatsoever destruction has taken place in J&K has a direct connection with the hanging of Maqbool Bhat and most unfortunate thing was that rather taking lessons from Maqbool Bhat’s hanging, New Delhi repeated the mistake and hanged Afzal Guru too, which led to further disappointment among youth and second phase of militancy started in Kashmir.
Er. Rasheed appealed for return of mortal remains of both Bhat and Guru.
