By IANS,
Srinagar : An engineer-turned-legislator in Jammu and Kashmir Tuesday said he has surrendered his police security to protest “excesses by security forces” in the valley.
Sheikh Abdul Rashid, who was elected to the state legislative assembly in the November-December elections as an independent, alleged that people in the Kashmir Valley, particularly in his north Kashmir constituency, continued to suffer at the hands of security forces.
“People are being ruthlessly beaten and some even booked under the harsh Public Safety Act,” he told reporters here.
“Unless I am assured by the government that such high-handedness by the police and security forces would be immediately stopped, I would not take the official security,” he said.
Rashid, who was once close to a section of separatist camp in Kashmir, defied the election boycott call and contested the polls, inviting sharp criticism from separatist leaders. He won the north Kashmir Langate seat.
The legislator also blamed the ruling National Conference and the opposition Peoples Democratic Party of playing politics with the aspirations of the people.