A day after jailed woman separatist leader Asiya Andrabi’s signature veiled image appeared in a government banner showing 12 prominent women achievers, Jammu and Kashmir government Thursday suspended a senior official for the goof up.
Andarbi's picture was displayed alongside Indira Gandhi, Mother Teresa, Lata Mangeshkar, Mehbooba Mufti, Sania Mirza, Kiran Bedi and other women achievers in the 'Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao' campaign by the child care wing of the social welfare department in Anantnag district's Brang block on Wednesday.
The banner put the J&K government in huge embarrassment and Social Welfare Minister Sajad Lone had to clarify on Thursday that the radical Dukhtaran-e-Millat chief was not a role model for women in Jammu and Kashmir or elsewhere.
"The person responsible for this goof up has been immediately placed under suspension and an enquiry has been ordered against her for the misconduct,” he posted on Twitter.
Lone, a BJP nominee in the PDP-BJP ruling alliance, said the publicity wing of the department works in decentralized format and CDPO’s devise their own publicity campaign, which doesn’t require approval of the higher authorities.
“The CDPO in question has committed a grievous error of judgement by including Ms Asiya Andrabi in the list of distinguished women achievers of the country,” he said. “In any case, the department unambiguously states that Ms Asiya Andrabi is not a role model neither for the women of Jammu and Kashmir nor elsewhere in the world.”
“She at best is an aberration, representing the aimless fringe afflicting societies across the world,” the separatist-turned-minister Lone added.
The banner aimed at highlighting the women achievers of the country was hoisted at a function held to promote education for girls in south Kashmir's Kokernag area. The central government’s flagship Integrated Child Development Scheme is currently holding a week-long campaign throughout the state to promote the Save Girl programme.
The function, where the banner was displayed, was attended by a PDP minister and several legislators. Besides politicians, top police officials and the Commanding Officer of the 19- Rashtriya Rifles battalion based in Kokernag, were also present in the function.
Andrabi, who is currently detained under the Public Safety Act, heads Dukhtaran-e-Millat outfit, which openly calls for merger of Jammu and Kashmir with Pakistan.
Published 12 October 2017, 10:02 IST