SRINAGAR: Amid demands from Shia and other political leaders for the release of protesters arrested in the Valley during demonstrations over the killing of Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei last week, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) opposed withdrawing FIRs against alleged stone-pelters.
Meanwhile, a prominent Shia leader and People's Democratic Party (PDP) MLA countered by saying the detained individuals were mourners and accused the BJP of trying to “appease Israel and the US.”
According to influential Shia leader and PDP MLA Aga Muntazir, about 100–200 youths, including some women protesters, were detained by police following last week’s protests in the Valley against Khamenei’s killing.
Massive anti-US and anti-Israel protests erupted in Kashmir for two days after the killing. While most protests were peaceful, there were also incidents of stone-pelting and clashes between protesters and security personnel in some areas.
Muntazir and other Shia leaders are demanding the release of all detained persons and the withdrawal of cases registered against them. The issue was also raised during an interaction between religious leaders and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah in Srinagar last week.
According to Muntazir, the Chief Minister assured them that he would take up the matter with higher authorities to facilitate the release of the arrested youths.
Ruling Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah urged Union Home Minister Amit Shah and security agencies to review the cases of detained youths sympathetically and consider withdrawing FIRs and releasing those detained, particularly students.
Other political leaders, including PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, Jammu and Kashmir People's Conference chairman Sajjad Gani Lone, and Jammu and Kashmir Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari, have also called for the release of the detained individuals.
However, BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur said on Tuesday that there can be no compromise on maintaining law and order.
“Any attempt to disturb peace or incite violence under the guise of protest is unacceptable,” he said.
He criticized those demanding the withdrawal of FIRs against the detained individuals. “Some people are demanding the withdrawal of FIRs against those who resorted to stone-pelting. Such demands are unacceptable. Violence and vandalism cannot be justified in any manner,” he said.
He also stated that attempts to equate the protest held at Lal Chowk condemning the Pahalgam terror attack with the mourning procession over Khamenei’s killing were “misleading.”
Responding to the remarks, Aga Muntazir accused the BJP of trying to “dehumanise Kashmiris” and appease the US and Israel.
“They were mourners expressing their emotions, not stone-pelters,” he said.
He alleged that the detained youths were being unfairly labelled to create a negative perception. “They want to create an impression internationally that they dealt harshly with mourners,” he said.
The MLA added that Shia leaders were now considering their future course of action, including approaching the courts.
“They were innocent mourners expressing their sentiments over Khamenei’s killing and not stone-pelters,” he reiterated.