Srinagar, Oct 31: Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary on Friday expressed strong concern in the Legislative Assembly over a social media video allegedly portraying him and Minister Sakina Itoo misleadingly.
The Dy CM said the video, circulated online as a short “reel”, had been deliberately distorted for cheap publicity.
Clarifying the incident, Choudhary told the House that she had tied a Rakhi to him as a mark of respect and brotherhood.
“She is like my sister. The gesture was purely out of affection and respect, but some people have twisted it for social media sensation,” he said. He condemned the act, calling it “shameful and unethical”, and appealed for strict action against those responsible for creating and sharing the video.
“Such mischief not only disrespects individuals but also lowers the dignity of public representatives. I request that their Facebook accounts be deleted and legal action initiated,” he urged.
Several members supported the Deputy Chief Minister’s statement, saying that the misuse of social media to malign legislators had become a growing concern and needed urgent attention.
Speaker Abdul Rahim Rather assured the House that the issue would be looked into seriously and appropriate measures would be taken against those involved.
The union territory Legislative Assembly started its short autumn session on October 23 and will end on Friday (October 31).
All the top offices, including those of the chief minister, cabinet ministers, chief secretary, administrative secretaries, director general of police (DGP) and some other offices, closed in Srinagar for the day and will function from the first week of November from Jammu.
The practice of shuttling top government offices between the twin capitals of Srinagar and Jammu on a six-month basis, called the ‘Darbar Move’, was restored after four years by the elected government.
The over one and a half century old practice was started by the Dogra Maharajas of Jammu and Kashmir and was discontinued by the Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha in 2021.
–IANS