SRINAGAR: A lawmaker in Jammu and Kashmir says he will move court seeking directions to disband Village Defence Committees or civilian groups armed by the government to fight separatist militants.
Formed in the nineties, the role of these committees has come into question following communal clashes in Kishtwar district on Friday which left three dead and dozens injured besides large scale damage of property in arson.
Separatist leaders in Kashmir have for long been demanding that the VDCs be disbanded, alleging its members were “mainly Hindus targetting Muslim villagers”.
Engineer Rashid, a local MLA from Langate constituency in northern Kashmir valley, is the first legislator to have backed such a demand.
He visited the strife-torn Kishtwar on Monday and said he would file a Public Interest Litigation in the High Court.
Rashid called the VDCs “state sponsored terrorist outfits involved in criminalizing and commercialising the situation” and said these were “a blot on Indian secularism and democracy”.
“Violence which erupted in Kishtwar on Eid-ul-Fitr was pre-planned and the state administration facilitated the riots for vote bank politics and took side of Hindu community,” he said.
“NC, BJP and Congress are playing dirty politics which could have serious repercussions in future.”
The legislator has demanded that all weapons given to VDC members be seized immediately.
