By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net
Srinagar: The unrest in Kashmir took a new turn on Sunday, July 31 when a senior leader of National Conference from Anantang district in Kashmir valley publicly announced his resignation from the party and extended his support to the ongoing movement by chanting pro-freedom and anti-India slogans.
The NC Leader, Iftikhar Misgar, had recently contested elections from Anantnag Assembly segment against Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, which he had lost. In a move that was not visible even during the 2008 and 2010 protests, Misgar sought apology from people for being part of the pro-Indian camp.
The video of him addressing a gathering in Cheeni Chowk of old town in Anantnag is already available on Internet, where he can be heard saying, “I have already withdrawn my security and today I officially say that,I don’t need any security; my people are my security, the people of Anantnag are my security.”
While leading the sloganeering, he shouted slogans like, “Jis Kashmir ko khoon se seencha, wo Kashmir hamara hai, Bharat ke Awaivanu mai aag laga do aag laga do (Burn the constitutional Institutions of India), Bharat ka jo yaar hai,Gaddar hai Gaddar hai (Friend of India are traitors).”
Misgar, a businessman, first contested elections in 2008 on People’s Democratic Front (PDF) ticket. He later joined NC and became its youth president and was allotted the party ticket in 2014 assembly elections after the exit of the then senior NC leader Mehboob Beg. Then he had lost elections against late Mufti Mohammad Syed. He was again given mandate by NC to contest the last month by-election from the Anantnag constituency against Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.
Last week the amalgam of separatists parties in the Valley had called for social boycott of legislators and activists associated with the ruling Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and other mainstream parties after dubbing them as “collaborators” in Indian “occupation”.
“People shall ostracize them and boycott them at all levels, socially and publicly. People shall refuse to interact with them at community and public places. They shall no longer be allowed to exploit the people and the sacred freedom struggle,” the statement issued by the separatists amalgam had said.
After the death of Hizbul commander Burhan Wani earlier this month, many leaders associated with mainstream political parties were attacked in the valley.