Days after videos of two Kashmiris selling dry fruit getting thrashed by a group of saffron-clad men in Daliganj locality in Lucknow went viral, Rahul Gandhi took to Twitter to condemn the incident.
Gandhi also saluted the person who intervened the attack and stopped the attackers, saying he salutes such bravehearts of the nation.
A day earlier, Jaitley condemned the attack as well, saying “our fight is against the separatists and terrorists”, adding “we need the people of Jammu and Kashmir with us in the fight against terror”.
Five persons have been arrested on Thursday, 7 March, reported The Indian Express.
The group of men who were arrested are associated with the little-known right wing outfit, Vishwa Hindu Dal.
While an initial FIR was filed against the accused at Lucknow’s Hassanganj police station under IPC sections 147 (rioting), 323 (voluntarily causing hurt), 504 (intentional insult with intent to provoke breach of peace), IPC sections 153 A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, etc.) and 307 (attempt to murder), along with 7 CLA (Criminal Law Amendment) Act, were later added to it, the newspaper reported.
“The Kashmiri youths were selling dry fruit on Daliganj bridge and a group of men beat them up, terming them stone pelters,” Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Kalanidhi Naithani told reporters.
The assault on the Kashmiri vendors, which was caught on camera, was strongly condemned by Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti, former chief ministers of Jammu and Kashmir.
Local people, however, rushed to their rescue and informed police, he said.
An "alert citizen" also made a video of the attack, following which police teams swung into action and arrested the main accused – Bajrang Sonkar. Later, based on a tip-off, the others were arrested, PTI said.
Abdul Salaam and Mohammed Afzal are from south Kashmir's Kulgam district and come in Lucknow during winters to sell dry fruit.
National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said the assault in Lucknow hurt the idea of India.
PDP President Mehbooba Mufti accused the Centre of encouraging such people to polarise society.
The incident took place on 6 March evening, the latest in a series of cases in which Kashmiris across the country were targeted after the Pulwama terror attack that killed 40 CRPF personnel.
(With inputs from PTI, The Indian Express)
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