People’s Conference leader’s viral video attracts harsh comments

Srinagar, June 19

General secretary of the People’s Conference, Imran Reza Ansari, dramatically threw a teacup away and complained to his supporters, saying they had brought him “aarsh se zameen par” (from the skies to the ground).

A 19-second video of Ansari’s outburst has gone viral on social media, attracting harsh comments against senior leader of the People’s Conference.

Many viewers are linking the video to the party’s debacle in the recently concluded Lok Sabha poll. However, All-Jammu and Kashmir Shia Association has descried the video as “old footage from Chinabal, Pattan, showing a religious mediation between two parties, one of which refused to comply. It is not recent or post-election as claimed.” Ansari is prominent Shia leader.

In the parliamentary poll, an Independent candidate, Engineer Rashid, secured 4,72,481 votes, defeating Omar Abdullah, who received 2,68,339 votes, and Sajad Lone, who got 1,73,239 votes.

Rashid has secured leads in 15 out of 18 Assembly constituencies within the Baramulla parliamentary constituency. His victory has cast a pall of gloom over the National Conference and People’s Conference camps.

Earlier Omar Abdullah was widely criticised for sharing an article that had said that “Engineer Rashid’s victory will empower secessionists and give Kashmir’s defeated Islamist movement a renewed sense of hope.”

After his defeat, Lone had said he would be away for a few days. “Taking a break to step back, pause and reflect,” Lone had said.

“Winning and losing is part of life. A setback, yes, but should it allow us to lose sight of our larger goal – the empowerment of our people, their dignity, development and making their voices heard – No! Elections were merely a vehicle towards this larger goal, never an end in itself,” Lone had said.

However, All-Jammu and Kashmir Shia Association (AJKSA) has issued an official statement addressing the viral video featuring their president, Molvi Imran Reza Ansari.

According to AJKSA general secretary Abid Ansari, “The video in question is old footage from Chinabal, Pattan, showing a religious mediation between two parties, one of which refused to comply. It is not recent or post-election, as claimed.”

The AJKSA condemned the deliberate misrepresentation of this video by certain media houses and individuals, accusing them of spreading false information. “AJKSA will take legal action against those responsible for uploading and sharing the video with malicious intent,” said Abid Ansari. The association urged the public to be cautious of misinformation and to verify the authenticity of content before sharing it.

Storm in a teacup

• In the video, a visibly angry Ansari tells his supporters in Kashmiri: “I swear upon the grave of my father. I want to tear apart my clothes today. I was in an exalted position, you made me bite the dust (aarsh se zameen par).”
• Ansari also angrily threw a cup of tea which he was offered and then goes on to shout at an elderly supporter