The Hindu : National : BJP activists attack Mirwaiz's vehicle

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National

BJP activists attack Mirwaiz's vehicle

Staff Reporter

He was on his way to attend a press conference in New Delhi

— Photo: Sushil Kumar Verma

Tight security:CRPF personnel stand guard outside the office of the Foreign Correspondents Club in New Delhi as All-Party Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq interacted with foreign media supporters on Tuesday.

NEW DELHI: All-Party Hurriyat Conference chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq's vehicle was attacked by Bharatiya Janata Yuva Morcha activists and some Kashmiri Pandits when he was going to address a press conference at the Foreign Correspondents Club (FCC) here on Tuesday.

Shouting slogans such as “Bharat Mata ki jai” and “Kashmir hamara hai,” the protesters kicked and threw eggs at Mr. Farooq's vehicle. The vehicle rolled into the club with minor damage, including a detached wiper blade.

The Delhi Police and Central Reserve Police Force personnel cordoned off the area to escort Mr. Farooq's vehicle into the club. The protesters continued shouting slogans for well over half-an-hour after the press meet began. As many as 59 of them were detained by the police and taken away in two buses.

The conference was attended by foreign media representatives. “Why is the India media not allowed inside? This is because we all know what their [Mirwaiz's party's] agenda is,” said Daughters of Vitasta convener Nancy Kaul.

“We are here because this is an issue of national integration. He [Mr. Farooq] has no logic asking for separation of Kashmir from India,” said Roots in Kashmir activist Sanjay Peshin.

While the conference was in progress, some protesters burnt banners carrying Mr. Farooq's picture outside the club.

The conference began around 5 p.m. and lasted for an hour-and-half. Security personnel cordoned off the area around the FCC's entrance to ensure a safe exit for the leader's vehicle. The hasty departure was followed by more protests and slogan shouting.

This is the third attack on Mr. Farooq in the past one week. He was attacked in Chandigarh on November 25 and in Kolkata on November 28, where he attended seminars related to Kashmir.

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