Union Minister of State for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has termed the attack on Jammu and Kashmir’s Independent MLA Engineer Rashid in New Delhi on Monday as “a law and order” issue. Speaking to The Hindu , the Minister said the incident was to be condemned but he did not agree with former J&K Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah’s statement soon after the attack that as a Muslim in India today he felt unsafe.
“The attack cannot be condoned, but it is an incident to be viewed as a law and order problem.”
‘Not a grand conspiracy to undermine dissent’
Mr. Naqvi refused to accept that the ink attack on Mr. Rashid was a grand conspiracy to undermine dissent in the country.
Speaking to The Hindu , the Minister disagreed with Mr. Abdullah’s sharp criticism.
“The attempt to make it into a conspiracy to suppress dissent is not true. Farooq Sahib should know that since this country has gained Independence there have been small and big riots numbering up to 5,000, and yet the country has largely remained peaceful and tolerant of all communities, because that is the underlying character of the country,” he said. “ Is mulk ki taaseer extremism ki nahin hai (The character of the country is not given to extremism),” Mr. Naqvi added.
‘Why link BJP to it?’
As for the Hindu Sena, the group claiming responsibility for the attack on the MLA, Mr. Naqvi said attempts to see them as part of the BJP or the Sangh Parivar should stop. “They are a different group, we are different,” he said.
