Mirwaiz lauds action against drinking in public

Srinagar, June 13

As Jammu and Kashmir police arrested two persons for allegedly consuming liquor during a shikara ride in the Dal Lake here, it has got praise from an unusual quarter, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq.

The step was taken by the Srinagar police after a video of the episode made rounds on the internet. “Srinagar Police took cognizance after a video of unidentified individuals indulging in offensive behaviour in a shikara on Dal Lake in an inebriated state went viral across social media platforms,” a police spokesperson said on Wednesday.

In a statement here Muttahida Majlis-e-Ulama (MMU), comprising leaders and representatives of religious, educational and social institutions of Jammu and Kashmir, under the leadership of Mirwaiz-e-Kashmir Molvi Umar Farooq expressed satisfaction that the administration and police have taken notice and acted against “the outrageous incident of public drinking by a group of people in a shikara on Dal Lake.”

“Following the public outrage and MMU’s strong protest against the incident, its delegation reached out to Shikara and Houseboat Unions and hoteliers associations, who assured full cooperation in preventing and averting such occurrences in future,” the statement added.

“In view of the growing concern around pressing social issues confronting the society, including drug addiction, increase in suicides, domestic abuse, moral decay and other such problems, it will convene a meeting of the delegates after Eid. Heads and key members of religious, social, and educational institutions, as well as members of civil society and intellectuals will be invited to the meeting for deliberations,” the statement added.