‘The Kashmir Files’: J&K Reconciliation Front demands hanging of Bitta Karate

President of Jammu Kashmir Reconciliation Front Dr Sandeep Mawa, a Kashmiri Pandit, burnt down an effigy of Farooq Ahmad Dar (Bita Karate) who has admitted on camera that he had killed several Kashmiri Pandits during the 1990 Kashmir militancy which led to the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits.

Mawa has set an ultimatum to the government to establish a fact-finding committee to find out the exact scenes of killings by terrorists in the Kashmir Valley. He said that if the government fails to do so till 19th April, he would sit on a hunger strike for ten days. And nothing is done even after that, he would do self-immolation.

Dr Sandeep Mawa said "We need justice. After ‘The Kashmir Files’ was released, we went back to the 90’s.” He further said, "Bita Karate has himself accepted that he has killed Kashmiri Pandits why he is not punished I demand he should hang, and government should constitute a fact-finding commission till 19th April. He said Kashmiri Muslims too have suffered who supported India and they too should get justice." 

Reacting on ‘The Kashmir Files’ movie, Sandeep said that the movie has shown the sufferings of minorities in Kashmir. 

He also held regional politicians responsible for the Kashmir situation and Kashmiri pandits’ exodus. He said that all those Muftis and Abdullahs hand in gloves with separatist and had planned the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits. Mawa said, "It is Farooq Abdullah who is responsible for all this. He was the Chief Minister and he resigned on 18th January 1990. Jagmohan Malhotra, who took as the Governor of Jammu and Kashmir in 1990, took charge on 22nd January. Till then, all Kashmir Pandits had left the valley." 

Mawa demanded that too should be probed that how regional politicians were supporting separatist and terrorist's agenda. 

Sandeep Mawa is the Kashmir Pandit on whose shop suspected terrorists gunned down a civilian in Srinagar on the evening of 8 November 2021. Killed civilian Ibrahim was working as a salesman at Nand Lal Mawa Enterprises, a prominent grocery shop owned by Dr Sandeep Mawa. 

Mawa returned to Kashmir in 2019, ahead of the scrapping of J&K’s special status. His father had been previously targeted by terrorists in 90ties. This is first protest done by any Kashmiri Pandit in Kashmir since the release of ‘The Kashmir Files.’