A hitherto-unknown group of stone-pelters in Jammu and Kashmir has threatened girls against riding two-wheelers or they would be set on fire.
The threat by ‘Sangbaaz (stone-pelters) Association Jammu and Kashmir’ was made in a poster that appeared in Srinagar.
“We request all girls, please do not use Scooty (two-wheeler). If we see any girl who rides Scooty, we will burn the Scooty as well as the girl,” reads the poster that was found pasted at the city centre in Srinagar.
The so-called association has also warned shopkeepers, vendors and banks against opening their establishments “till the end of this fight”.
The group warned “for the last time” that they should “shut down or face consequences”. It also asked all private transport to “cooperate with us”.
The association also asked mosque management committees to raise slogans and play anthems after every prayer. A police official said the poster is being examined and those behind it are being traced.
Reacting to the poster, Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti warned that such actions would take Kashmir towards becoming current day Afganistan. She alleged that mosques are being used to provoke people which is what exactly happened in Afghanistan.
“Afghanistan did not become Afghanistan in one day. Terror was spread in Afghanistan throughout the years. This does not concerns only me or my government, this concerns people,” she said.
Mufti said that it was wrong to use mosques for announcement regarding protests. “People are called to protest from mosques. Mosques are not to provoke people. Islam is against using mosques for such proposes,” she said.
In a direct attack on separatists, Mehbooba said that they are stopping women and girls from stepping out of their homes. “They are stopping girls from going out on scooties, this is happening to other girls today, it can happen to your daughters tomorrow. They will say don’t wear this cloth, don’t go to that school,” Mufti said.
“We should fight these people together,” she added.
