Ink attackers blacken face of J&K lawmaker Rashid

Rashid had called the journalists at Press Club here to brief them on the attack on two truck drivers by a mob at Udhampur in Jammu region, on  October 9. One of the victims –19- year -old Zahid – died at Safdurjung hospital here on Sunday morning.

As he finished the press conference, Rashid, who is also known as ‘Engineer Rashid’, was stopped at the gate of the Press Club by some TV journalists for one-to-one interviews when some activists shouting slogans “gau mata ka apman, nahi sahega Hindustan (India will not tolerate any disrespect to cow)” pounced on him and painted him with black colour, mobil oil and blue ink.

Some of the TV journalists as well as policemen also had their faces smeared while trying to save the MLA from the mob. Two people were detained by the police and whisked away to Parliament Street Police station while Rashid had to take refuge inside the Press Club till additional forces came in.

“They are mentally sick. I want the whole world to see this how these people are trying to muzzle the voice of Kashmiris,” Rashid, who was beaten by BJP MLAs in the state assembly for hosting the beef party, said after the attack.

Within minutes of the incident, there was widespread condemnation pouring in from the state with Chief Minister Mufti Mohammed Sayeed saying that the “spate in unpleasant incidents” is “most disturbing” and former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressing concern saying that “this climate of intolerance and violence is very worrying.”

“Attack on Eng. Rashid is unacceptable & condemned in the strongest possible terms. This climate of intolerance & violence is very worrying,” Abdullah tweeted.