Srinagar: The child development project officer (CDPO) of Anantnag’s Breng block has been suspended after a banner on ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ campaign featured separatist leader Asiya Andrabi as an achiever alongside Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and other personalities.
The banner aimed at highlighting the women achievers of the country was hoisted at a function held to promote education for girls in south Kashmir’s Kokernag area.
It also featured tennis star Sania Mirza, legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar and Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi among others.
Andrabi, who is currently detained under the Public Safety Act, heads Dukhtaran-e-Millat (daughter of nation) outfit.
Social Welfare Minister Sajad Gani Lone published a press release on his twitter handle in which he claimed that Asiya Andrabi is not an achiever at all.
The press release reads: “Yesterday an unfortunate incident of mishandling of publicity campaign on ‘Beti Bachavo, Beti Padhao’ took place in Anantnag, wherein the pictures of Ms Asiya Andrabi was displayed on hoardings along with distinguished women achievers of the country. The publicity wing works in a decentralized format and CDPO’s devise their own publicity campaign which does not require approval of the higher authorities. The CDPO in question has committed a grievous error of judgment by including Ms Asiya Andrabi in the list of distinguished women achievers of the country.”
“In any case the department unambiguously states that Ms Andrabi is not a role model neither for the women of Jammu and Kashmir nor elsewhere in the world. She at best is an aberration, representing the aimless fringe afflicting societies across the world.”
The statement added that: “the person responsible for this goof up has been immediately placed under suspension and an enquiry has been ordered against her for the misconduct.”
