quits India parliament to protest "brutal" policy
An MP from the
ruling party in Indian-administered Kashmir has resigned to protest against the
way authorities' have handled weeks of political unrest. Tariq Hameed
Karra described government policy as "brutal" and condemned his
People's Democratic Party for its state-level alliance with the BJP. He
quit his party and resigned from parliament.
More than
80 people have been killed since wide-scale riots erupted in early
July. The mass closure of mosques in Kashmir hampered the festival of Eid
al-Adha this week. "For the first time in history, the people of
Kashmir were not allowed to offer Eid prayers. Certain shrines and even the
Grand Mosque were locked,'' Mr Karra told reporters on Thursday.
"Kashmiri
blood is being spilled on the walls, lanes and drains of the valley," he
added.
The
demonstrations were sparked by the killing of a popular militant leader, Burhan
Wani, 22, in a gunfight with the army. Disputed Kashmir is claimed in its
entirety by both India and Pakistan and has been a flashpoint for more than 60
years, causing two wars between the neighbours. Within the disputed
Muslim-majority territory, some militant groups have taken up arms to fight for
independence from Indian rule or a merger with Pakistan.
- 16 September 2016
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