Uttarakhand: J-K leaders demand strict action after 'assault' on Kashmiri trader

Political voices in Jammu and Kashmir on Thursday raised alarm over reports that a Kashmiri trader was assaulted in Uttarakhand, calling for swift legal action and warning against what they described as an erosion of constitutional protections.

National Conference Lok Sabha MP Ruhullah Mehdi said any attempt to force citizens to demonstrate patriotism through coerced speech was incompatible with the Constitution and basic human dignity. Referring to media reports and footage circulating online, Mehdi said the incident was “deeply troubling”.

“Reports from Uttarakhand indicating that a Kashmiri trader was assaulted for refusing to chant a slogan on religious grounds are deeply troubling,” he said in a post on X. “Coercing any citizen to prove patriotism through compelled speech violates constitutional freedoms and human dignity.”

The alleged assault surfaced after a purported video was shared on social media showing a Kashmiri vendor being abused and beaten by a group of men for refusing to chant 'Bharat Mata ki jai'. The trader was reportedly confronted by around five individuals who verbally abused and physically attacked him.

Mehdi, who represents Srinagar in the Lok Sabha, said national loyalty could not be manufactured through intimidation, nor could such acts substitute for governance, accountability or the rule of law. “We urge the Uttarakhand government to ensure strict legal action against those responsible and guarantee the safety and rights of Kashmiri traders across the state,” he said.

The incident also drew a sharp response from Mehbooba Mufti, president of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), who appealed directly to the state’s police leadership. In a post on X, Mufti said the victim had been identified as Bilal Ahmad, a shawl seller, and claimed that despite approaching the local police station, no first information report had been registered.

“Bilal Ahmad, a shawl seller, was brutally assaulted by right-wing goons in Kashipur, Uttarakhand. Despite approaching the Pratappur Goshala police station, no FIR has reportedly been registered so far,” Mufti said. “I urge the DGP Uttarakhand to kindly intervene and ensure that an FIR is registered so that the perpetrators are held accountable, and such incidents are not repeated in the future.”

Her daughter, PDP leader Iltija Mufti, struck a more scathing note, linking the alleged assault to the actions of Hindu right-wing groups. “Bajrang Dal workers thrashed a Kashmiri shawl trader only because he refused to chant Bharat Mata Ki Jai,” she wrote on X. “Bajrang Dal, along with RSS, is a metastatic cancer that is making India sick. Gandhi’s India is on the verge of death.”

The remarks from across the political spectrum in Jammu and Kashmir underline growing concern over the safety of Kashmiri traders operating outside the region, and the broader implications of vigilante violence tied to enforced displays of nationalism. Opposition leaders have stressed that the credibility of the rule of law hinges on prompt police action and accountability in such cases, warning that failure to act risks normalising coercion and communal intimidation.

With PTI inputs