Two arrested for ink attack on Jammu and Kashmir MLA Engineer Rashid

New Delhi: Two persons of a right wing Hindu outfit were arrested on Monday for smearing Jammu and Kashmir MLA Sheikh Abdul Rashid’s face with paint, ink and mobil oil protesting against his hosting a beef party in Srinagar earlier this month. Rashid had called the presser at Press Club in Delhi to brief media on the attack on two truck drivers by a mob at Udhampur in Jammu region, on 9 October. One of the victims, 19-year-old Zahid, died at Safdarjung Hospital on Monday morning. [caption id=“attachment_2475020” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Engineer Rashid. PTI[/caption] As he finished the press conference, Rashid, who is also known as ‘Engineer Rashid’, was held at the gate of the Press Club by some TV journalists for one-to-one interviews when some activists shouting slogans “gow mata ka apman, nahi sahega Hindustan (India will not tolerate any disrespect to cow)” pounced on him and painted him with black colour, mobil oil and blue ink. Some TV journalists as well as policemen received colours on their faces as well as clothes while trying to save the MLA from the mob. Deepak Sharma (30) and Devendra Upadhyay (33) were detained immediately from the spot, by the police and whisked away to Parliament Street Police station. They were later booked under sections 341 and 355 of IPC and arrested, DCP, New Delhi, Jatin Narwal said, adding that the two were members of Hindu Sena. Rashid had to take refuge inside the Press Club till additional forces came in and was later taken out by police personnel. “They are mentally sick. I want the whole world to see this how these people are trying to muzzle the voice of Kashmiris,” Rashid, who was earlier beaten by BJP MLAs in the state Assembly for hosting the beef party, said after the attack. The incident drew strong condemnation from the state. PTI