Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, May 31: Police today booked BJP leader and District Development Council (DDC) Srinagar member Aijaz Hussain Rather for allegedly assaulting a man in Srinagar.
Aijaz is accused of wrongful restraint and voluntarily causing hurt, following a complaint filed by Nazim Hussain Bhat and Imdad Ali Mir. “On the basis of the complaint lodged by Nazim Hussain Bhat and Imdad Ali Mir, FIR No. 51/2023 u/s 323,341 of the IPC dated May 30, 2023, was registered in Panthachowk police station against DDC member Aijaz Hussain Rather on offenses of wrongful restraint and voluntarily causing hurt,” the Srinagar Police said on Twitter.
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Rather, besides being a DDC member, also serves as a member of the Haj Committee of India. He previously held the position of National Vice President in the Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha (BJYM), the youth wing of the BJP. In the 2020 DDC elections, Rather emerged victorious from Srinagar’s Khonmoh seat, one of the three seats the party secured in the Kashmir valley.
A video went viral on Tuesday evening, capturing an incident where several individuals alleged that Aijaz Hussain Rather, along with his Personal Security Officer (PSO), had assaulted them while they were on their way home to Balhama, located on the outskirts of Srinagar.
Responding to the allegations, Rather called a press conference at his office in Pathanchowk, Srinagar, where he vehemently denied the charges. He claimed that the individuals who accused him were part of a land mafia group that he had actively worked against.
“The entire Balhama community is exhausted and frustrated with the repeated disruptive actions of these individuals. They have been involved in illegal activities such as attempts to seize Pandit properties and agricultural land, as well as the misuse of state-owned land. It is clear that their frustration stems from the Government’s efforts to address these unlawful actions,” he stated.
During the press conference, Aijaz provided his account of the events, explaining that he received a call around 9:30 p.m. the previous day about a viral video involving members of the alleged land mafia group. He described how he conducted a visit to the Khanmoh block in Khonmoh with the Secretary of the Rural Development Department. Following the visit, he proceeded to Balhama, where he was confronted with a barrage of verbal abuse, threats, and derogatory remarks. “I calmly left the scene and promptly reported the incident to the Panthachowk Police Station, where I filed a formal complaint against the individuals involved,” he said.
Surprisingly, Rather claimed that the Mayor of Srinagar has openly shown support for these individuals, raising concerns about his involvement with the alleged land mafia. He called upon the Government to expose and take action against the land mafia, “all four individuals had already been issued notices as they were allegedly linked to the illegal acquisition of approximately 50 plots of land,” he said.
Rather emphasized that as a responsible citizen, it is his duty to combat any illegal activities within his jurisdiction. He assured the public of his faith in the judiciary and the police, affirming his commitment to preserving his own and his party’s reputations.
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