Mehbooba writes to Karunanidhi on harassment to Kashmiris in TN

New Delhi, Mar 19 (UNI) Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) President Mehbooba Mufti today shot off a letter to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M Karunanidhi, expressing dismay and anguish over the detention and harassment of Kashmiri businessmen by the police in Chennai.

She sought his intervention in getting all the Kashmiri businessmen, who were recently arrested by the Chennai police, released immediately.

In her communication, Ms Mufti said a reign of terror had been let lose by the Tamil Nadu police against the Kashmiri businessmen after an altercation between a shopkeeper and a local tea vendor in the Spencer Plaza area.

After the incident, some local assailants armed with sharp edged weapons attacked the Kashmiri shopkeepers, she added.

The PDP chief said instead of taking action against the local assailants, the Chennai police surprisingly took on the Kashmiri shopkeepers labeling them as militants and arrested several of them.

Ms Mufti said it has become a trend with the police in several states to dub Kashmiri businessmen and students as militants and tarnish their image.

Such unfortunate trend must be stopped forthwith and no Kashmiri businessman or student be put to any unnecessary trouble outside the state, she added.

Ms Mufti said she would be taking up the matter with Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and other Central government authorities to prevent recurrence of such incidents and ensure that no Kashmiri outside the state was put to any trouble.

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