Kashmiri shawl sellers attacked in Uttarakhand's Dehradun; Omar Abdullah dials Dhami over assault

AN 18-year-old Kashmiri early days was allegedly attacked by a rout in Uttarakhand's Dehradun on th. As per a PTI cover, the assail took place after the man was questioned about his identity and religion.Condemning the attack, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah took to X and called for strict action against the attackers."This recent series of attacks including in Himachal Pradesh and now this one are unacceptable and must stop. It can’t be claimed that J&K is an inalienable part of India while people from Kashmir, in other parts of the country, live in fear for their lives. My Government will step in where ever necessary & will do whatever is needed to ensure these incidents are not repeated. I hope Home Ministry, Govt of India will also sensitise other states on the same lines," said Abdullah. BJP's Jammu and Kashmir unit has also condemned the attack and called for strict action against the perpetrators."Strongly condemn the attack on Tabish Ahmad, an 18 year old Kashmiri shawl vendor who was brutally assaulted by a mob while selling shawls with his family in Vikas Nagar, #Uttarakhand," Shah, a spokesman of the BJP, said in a post on X, adding that Kashmiris are also citizens of India.PDP leader Iltija Mufti also condemned the attack and said that this was a result of the BJP "mainstreaming" the fringe elements who "enjoy institutional impunity"."This 18-year-old Kashmiri shawl vendor was assaulted in Uttarakhand with irons rods till his bones crumbled. It's one of many acts of violence against Kashmiris in India where perpetrators know they enjoy institutional impunity," Mufti said in a post on X.What happened in Dehradun?As per local reports, two Kashmiris, 18-year-old Tabish and his younger brother Danish, working as shawl sellers, stopped to purchase snacks at a shop in Dehradun, when shopkeepers inquired about their identity.After declaring that they were Muslims from Kashmir, an altercation broke out, resulting in severe injuries to both youths, including one minor.As per a report by The Indian Express, the younger brother said the shopkeeper and two unknown people assaulted them, hurled slurs at them and hit them with sticks and iron rods.Also Read | Tripura student’s murder in Dehradun wasn’t racially motivated: PoliceFollowing Omar Abdullah's intervention in the case, police detained the shopkeeper.Speaking to news agency PTI, Uttarakhand SSP Ajai Singh said, “I want to clarify that this was a one-on-one altercation inside a shop in Paonta Sahib involving two youths from Kashmir and a shopkeeper, following a misunderstanding. The youths were injured and were given prompt medical care, and a case was immediately registered.""The shopkeeper, Sanjay Yadav, has been detained and will be produced before the court. So far, the investigation shows no evidence of communal or identity-based targeting, and the victims and their families are satisfied with the police action," Singh added further.(With inputs from PTI)