National Conference activists protest against Youth’s Murder in Srinagar

Srinagar, Dec 23: National Conference activists on Wednesday protested here against the killing of one of its youth leaders and also sought the withdrawal of the National Food Security Act (NFSA).

Dozens of activists took out a protest rally from the party headquarters demanding action over the murder of Ishtiyaq Chowdhary in Rajouri district in Jammu region.

The National Conference has blamed a member of a Village Defence Committee (VDC) for the “cold-blooded murder”.

“The VDCs are criminals and act like gangsters and are involved in various atrocities. Action should be taken against them,” a leader said at the rally.

VDCs were formed in the mid-1990s by arming villagers to take on militants.

National Conference leader Ali Muhammad Sagar told IANS that the rally also denounced electricity shortages in the Kashmir Valley and sought the withdrawal of NFSA.

“We believe the implementation of NFSA violates the autonomous character of Jammu and Kashmir.

“It is being implemented in haste without consulting the legislature. It is an anti-people move and will add to people’s misery.”

He said people were facing frequent and unscheduled power cuts in the valley in winter which he added was “unacceptable and insulting”.

The protesters burned an effigy of the Peoples Democratic Party-Bharatiya Janata Party coalition government, with a picture of Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed and the election symbol of the BJP.  (IANS)