Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Oct 12: The Child Development Project Officer (CDPO) of Breng block in Anantnag district of South Kashmir was suspended today after a banner on ‘Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao’ campaign featured separatist leader Asiya Andrabi as an achiever alongside Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti and other personalities.
The banner aimed at highlighting the women achievers of the country was hoisted at a function held to promote education for girls in South Kashmir’s Kokernag area.
It also featured former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi, tennis star Sania Mirza, legendary singer Lata Mangeshkar, Puducherry Lt Governor Kiran Bedi, prominent philanthropist Mother Teresa, J&K MoS Health Asiya Naqash, famous Kashmiri poetess Habba Khatoon, IAS officers Ruveda Salam and Deeba Farhat.
Deputy Commissioner Anantnag Mohammad Yunus Malik said that CDPO, Shamima, has been placed under suspension and an inquiry has been ordered into the incident.
Social Welfare Minister Sajjad Gani Lone today said that Asiya Andrabi is no role model for women in Kashmir.
Reacting on the controversy, Lone said: “The person responsible for this goof up has been immediately placed under suspension and an enquiry has been ordered against her for the misconduct”.
Lone said the publicity wing of the department works in decentralized format and CDPOs’ devise their own publicity campaign, which doesn’t require approval of the higher authorities.
“The CDPO in question has committed a grievous error of judgment by including Asiya Andrabi in the list of distinguished women achievers of the country. In any case, the department unambiguously states that Asiya Andrabi is not a role model neither for the women of Jammu and Kashmir nor elsewhere in the world. She at best is an aberration, representing the aimless fringe afflicting societies across the world,” he said.
Andrabi, who is currently detained under the Public Safety Act, heads Dukhtaran-e-Millat (daughter of nation) outfit.
She has several cases registered against her, including some for hoisting Pakistani flag on August 14 and March 23– the independence day and national day of Pakistan respectively.
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