 "Why killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah has angered Kashmir politicians")
The assassination of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah in an Israeli air strike in Lebanon has stirred protests in Kashmir. A political row has also broken out in India after several politicians in the Union Territory called off their election campaigns to condole his death.
Jammu and Kashmir is holding its first Assembly elections in a decade. Sunday (September 29) was the last day of campaigning for the 16 seats of north Kashmir that will vote in the third and last phase on October 1.
Let’s take a closer look.
Protests in Kashmir
Thousands of protesters took to the streets in Shia-dominated areas of Srinagar and the neighbouring Budgam district denouncing Nasrallah’s killing over the weekend.
Holding pictures of the Hezbollah leader, demonstrators raised anti-Israeli and anti-American slogans. As per Al Jazeera, one of the slogans was “Oh martyrs of Palestine, we are with you!”
The Iran-backed Hezbollah armed group confirmed on Saturday that Nasrallah was assassinated in the southern Beirut suburb of Dahiyeh on Friday.
This led to peaceful protests in several areas of Kashmir including Rainawari, Alamgari Bazar, Lal Bazar, Pattan, Budgam, as well as parts of Kargil, as per reports. Police were deployed in Shia-majority areas to maintain law and order.
All Jammu and Kashmir Shia Association (AJKSA), a union of Shia groups, called for a protest on Sunday evening at Imam Bargah Zadibal in Srinagar.
“We honour Syed Hassan Nasrallah’s life, and legacy, remembering his unwavering resolve, strategic leadership, and compassion. His martyrdom will not diminish our resolve to strive for justice and equality,” senior Shia leader Imran Ansari was quoted as saying by Al Jazeera.
Hezbollah’s Nasrallah is a revered figure, especially among the Shia community globally. In Kashmir, the community sees the leader as a “symbol of resistance”.
Speaking to Al Jazeera, Abbas Ali, 25, a protester in Srinagar city said that Nasrallah had stood against “oppression” and “injustice”. “We despise the world leaders who remain silent as the bloodshed in Gaza and Lebanon continues,” he said.
“This protest is not just for our dear leader Hassan Nasrallah but also for the oppressed people of Palestine, for Lebanon and for everyone suffering at the hands of oppressors, particularly Israel,” Ali, a college student, added.
Kashmir has long supported Palestinians against Israeli occupation.
Maulana Yasoob Abbas, the general secretary of the All India Shia Personal Law Board (AISPLB) termed Nasrallah’s death “a great loss for the Muslim world". He urged India’s Shia community to observe three days of mourning and hoist black flags at their houses, reported ANI.
Amid protests over Nasrallah’s killing, Kashmir’s cyber police has issued an advisory, asking people not to fan communal or sectarian tensions in the Kashmir Valley.
“We’ve noticed inflammatory and sectarian posts being shared on social media, threatening communal harmony. We urge everyone to refrain from posting or engaging in such divisive content,” the cyber police posted on X.
Warning of strict action against the culprit, it added, “Any individual found posting or sharing sectarian, inflammatory, or provocative content will face strict legal action under relevant sections of the law. Let’s work together to maintain the unity and tranquillity of Kashmir.”
Politicians call off campaigns in J&K
Several politicians, including former J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, cancelled their election campaigns in the UT.
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mufti wrote in a post on X, “Cancelling my campaign tomorrow in solidarity with the martyrs of Lebanon & Gaza especially Hassan Nasrallah. We stand with the people of Palestine & Lebanon in this hour of immense grief & exemplary resistance.”
Cancelling my campaign tomorrow in solidarity with the martyrs of Lebanon & Gaza especially Hassan Nasarullah. We stand with the people of Palestine & Lebanon in this hour of immense grief & exemplary resistance.
— Mehbooba Mufti (@MehboobaMufti) September 28, 2024
Senior National Conference (NC) leader and Srinagar MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, who was canvassing for NC candidates, also called off his campaign. “The Muslim ummah [global Muslim community] is in grief now so that’s why I ended the election campaign,” he reportedly said.
Calling off my campaign.
— Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi (@RuhullahMehdi) September 28, 2024
NC vice president Omar Abdullah called on Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other world leaders to push Israel to establish peace in West Asia.
“After what happened yesterday, it seems as if the clouds of war are now visible in the entire region,” ANI quoted him as saying.
“We have always opposed the bombing and use of force by Israel for the past year and have repeatedly demanded that it should be stopped,” the NC leader added.
BJP slams Valley parties
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has lambasted the Valley leaders, accusing them of being “terrorist” sympathisers.
Hitting out at the PDP, the NC and the Congress, Union minister Anurag Thakur alleged these parties “supported terrorists” whenever there was “action against terrorists anywhere in the world”.
“They are those who were supporting terrorists and stone-pelters. Today if there is any action against terrorists anywhere in the world, the NC, Congress and PDP are there to support them,” he said, as per The Telegraph.
The saffron party also lashed out at the PDP’s Mufti for “shedding crocodile tears” and indulging in “vote bank politics”.
BJP national spokesperson RP Singh reportedly said, “By cancelling her campaigning, she has shown she is shedding tears over the death of terrorists. It is her habit to call terrorists martyrs. She had similarly wept for Burhan Wani some time back.”
As per PTI, senior BJP leader Kavinder Gupta also slammed Mufti, asking her, “What problem does Mehbooba Mufti have with the death of terrorist Nasrallah? When Hindus are killed in Bangladesh and Pakistan, there is a grave silence from them.”
Accusing Mufti of shedding “crocodile tears”, he said that “those who attacked Israel were killed, including their commander, and yet she cancels her campaign in solidarity with the terrorists. These are crocodile tears. People understand her motives. Her actions will not garner sympathy from voters.”
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma also trained guns on Mufti for cancelling her election campaign.
He reportedly said at an election rally in poll-bound Haryana’s Sonipat, “I want to ask Mehbooba, Farooq Abdullah, and Rahul Gandhi: When terrorists kill Hindu soldiers, do you feel sad or not?"
With inputs from agencies
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