Though Deputy Commissioner Srinagar Shahid Iqbal Chowdhry deserves all appreciations for banning the displaying of videos or messages about philanthropic measures by any individual or group of individuals on social media within the municipal limits of the summer capital but a local news channel during its evening news bulletin displayed visuals of distribution of few kgs of ration by BJP’s local spokesperson Altaf Thakur somewhere in South Kashmir. Bizarre it looks that the saboteurs of Kashmir’s political and cultural identity owing allegiance to the political party in power at the centre tend to be sympathisers of Kashmiris. Instead of distributing ration among 3-4 locals of an isolated locality in south Kashmir, the local BJP leaders could have persuaded the central government to allow people of Kashmir to atleast mourn the scrapping of special status and downgrading of a state to a union territory in August last year. Question can be asked that how come the police is allowing the activists of the political party ruling at the centre to violate lockdown restrictions for distributing few kgs of rice among not more than 3-4 people in an isolated locality in South Kashmir but disallowing even the sitting parliament members and the members of several non governmental organizations (NGOs) to carry out any relief operation in any part of Kashmir valley during the ongoing lockdown. Ironically the police recently manhandled store keepers of the food, civil supplies and consumer affairs (FCS&CA) department at Jahangir Chowk Srinagar while they were on their way to lift ration from the Srinagar directorate for distribution in some localities of Srinagar city.
Better it would have been for the BJP leaders to seek an assurance from the government over the security and safe passage of those officials of the food, civil supplies,& consumer affairs department who are manhandled by police during the transportation of ration to the doorsteps of consumers of both the BPL (Below Poverty Line) and as well as APL (Above Poverty Line) categories.
The officials were let off only after the director food, civil supplies and consumer affairs (FCS&CA) department brought the issue of manhandling of store keepers into the notice of top police authorities of Srinagar district. One fails to understand that what prompts BJP activists to move out with few Kgs of ration for displaying fake philanthropy in the rural parts of South Kashmir but restrain from carrying out such philanthropic measures in Srinagar city and major towns where thousands of vendors are living from hand to mouth. Better it would have been for the BJP leaders to seek an assurance from the government over the security and safe passage of those officials of the food, civil supplies,& consumer affairs department who are manhandled by police during the transportation of ration to the doorsteps of consumers of both the BPL (Below Poverty Line) and as well as APL (Above Poverty Line) categories.