National Conference MP Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi on Friday strongly condemned the recent deaths of two Kashmiri men under controversial circumstances, accusing security forces of excessive force, torture and human rights violations.
Addressing media personnel at the Press Club of India, New Delhi, he questioned the killing of an ex-serviceman followed by the arrest of nearly 500 over ground workers (OGWs) and a Baramulla truck driver, both of the cases, he alleged, were victims of targeted actions following a high-level security review headed by Home Minister Amit Shah this week.
“This has become a habit in Jammu and Kashmir—arrests in unknown locations, collective punishment, and branding individuals as Over Ground Workers (OGWs) to justify torture,” Mehdi said.
Referring to the alleged killing of 32-year-old Waseem Majeed Mir in Baramulla, Mehdi raised serious concerns over the security forces’ version of events.
According to the the officials, the driver was shot after a 23-kilometer chase when he failed to stop at a checkpoint. However, Mehdi questioned the plausibility of this narrative.
How did they chase him for 23 kilometers? Why is there no clarity? Release all video footage,” he demanded, citing reports that the victim had gunshot wounds from close range. “The doctor’s assessment suggests he was shot at close range. Was he tortured and then killed?”
Mehdi also brought attention to another incident in Kathua, where a 25-year-old man, allegedly detained under the tag of being an OGW, committed suicide after facing “torture and humiliation”.
At a time when we are advocating for the rights of citizens being deported from the US, our own security forces are killing Kashmiris at will, just because they are Muslims and Kashmiris” he said.
The NC MP questioned the timing of these incidents, linking them to a security review meeting held just before the killings.
“What happened right after the Home Minister’s security review that led to these actions? Those responsible should be booked as murderers,” he demanded.
As outrage grows over these incidents, Mehdi vowed to fight for justice, urging authorities to release all evidence and hold those responsible accountable. “We don’t need a designed truth; we need the real truth”, he said.