Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mufti Muhammad Sayeed and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah along with other politicians condemned the ink attack on independent legislator, Engineer Rashid in New Delhi on Monday.
"In a vibrant democracy like India, we need to have courage to respect dissent and provide space to different points of view," said Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed.
"The spate in unpleasant incidents such as this is most disturbing," he added.
Omar Abdullah said on his Twitter handle: "The attack on Engineer Rashid is unacceptable and condemned in the strongest possible terms. The climate of intolerance and violence is very worrying."
State legislators Hakim Yaseen, Nizamuddin Bhat and Usman Majeed also issued statements in Srinagar condemning the attack and calling it an act of intolerance and against the spirit of democracy.
Mr Rashid was attacked just outside the Press Club in Delhi soon after he had spoken to the media about a fire bomb attack in Udhampur on a trucker over rumours of cow slaughter.
His face was smeared with ink, and the black liquid spilled on to his clothes. An associate of Rashid was also targeted with ink.
The two people who set up on Mr Rashid and attacked him with the ink have been detained.
Engineer Rashid was thrashed earlier this month by BJP legislators in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly for hosting a beef party.
The incident was condemned by both the parties in the ruling alliance - the Peoples Democratic Party and the Bharatiya Janata Party - along with the opposition in the state assembly.
"In a vibrant democracy like India, we need to have courage to respect dissent and provide space to different points of view," said Chief Minister Mufti Sayeed.
"The spate in unpleasant incidents such as this is most disturbing," he added.
State legislators Hakim Yaseen, Nizamuddin Bhat and Usman Majeed also issued statements in Srinagar condemning the attack and calling it an act of intolerance and against the spirit of democracy.
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His face was smeared with ink, and the black liquid spilled on to his clothes. An associate of Rashid was also targeted with ink.
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Engineer Rashid was thrashed earlier this month by BJP legislators in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly for hosting a beef party.
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