Kangra DC suspends panchayat samiti member for abusing Kashmiri traders

Kangra Deputy Commissioner Hemraj Bairwa has suspended a woman panchayat samiti member under the Panchayati Raj Act for abusing Muslim traders from Kashmir in the Jaisinghpur area of the district and hurting their religious sentiments.

Berwa had earlier issued a show-cause notice to Sushma Devi, panchayat samiti member from Lambagaon ward of Jaisinghpur in Kangra district, and sought an explanation from her within 15 days. She was asked to give an explanation over the charges of hurting religious sentiments and trying to disturb communal harmony. However, the Deputy Commissioner not being satisfied with her reply and holding her guilty of having violated the rules of conduct for a panchayat samiti member has put her under suspension.

Sushma had allegedly misbehaved with a father-son duo from Pachgaon in Kupwara of Jammu and Kashmir when they were in her village to sell clothes. After a video of Sushma abusing the Kashmiri traders went viral on social media, the Lambagaon police had registered a case against her.

Kashmiri traders Firdaus Ahmed Mir and his son Ali Mohammad Mir, both residents of Pachgaon in Kupwara district, had filed a written complaint to the police against Sushma. In the complaint, they had alleged that they had gone to Gandad village on November 23 to sell shawls and blankets. They were sitting in the courtyard of Ashok Kumar’s house and showing shawls and blankets for sale. Ashok Kumar’s neighbour Sushma came there and told them that “you cannot come to the area”. She then allegedly asked them to chant “Jai Shri Ram”.

They alleged that Sushma told them that “we are not from India. If we are residents of India, we should say ‘Jai Shri Ram’ once”. On their compliant, the police had registered a case. Sushma had sought pardon on social media for her misconduct.