03Greater Kashmir SRINAGAR | January 17, 2017, Tuesday

Zaira Wasim of ‘DANGAL’ fame caught in controversy

Srinagar/Jammu, Jan 16: Zaira Wasim, the Kashmiri teen who shot to fame for her stellar role in Aamir Khan's blockbuster "Dangal", was today unwittingly caught up in con-troversy over her meeting with Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti in the backdrop of the unrest in Kashmir.

The 16-year-old Zaira first posted an apology for "offending" and "uninten-tionally hurting" people after her meet-ing with Mehbooba kicked up a row and trolled online but later deleted the post. She then posted again, this time asking everyone not to blow the issue out of proportion but deleted this post too.

Zaira, who played the younger version of wrestler Geeta Phogat in "Dangal", took to Facebook and tendered an apology apparently over her meeting with the chief minister on Saturday that drew sharp reactions from the youth in Kashmir because of the situation there

during the last few months.She also played down her perfor-

mance in "Dangal", saying she was "not proud of" what she is doing. "This is an open confession/apology. I know that many people have been offended and displeased by my recent actions or by the people I have recently met," the actress wrote on her Facebook page.

Zaira said she wanted to apologise to "all those people who I have unintention-ally hurt and I want them to know that I understand their sentiments behind it especially considering that what had happened over the past six months" – apparently referring to the unrest in Kashmir which left more than 95 persons dead and thousands injured. "But I hope people can also understand there are cer-tain circumstances that emerge which one cannot control and I hope people still remember that I'm a just a 16 year old girl and I hope you treat me accordingly.

I'm sorry for what I did but it was not a deliberate decision and I really hope people can forgive me," she said.

Zaira also played down her projec-tion as a role model for the youth of Kashmir, saying she does not want anyone to follow her footsteps. "There are few more things which are very important and I want to clear them as well. The first and foremost

thing is that I am being projected as a role model for Kashmiri Youth. I want to make it very clear that I do not want anyone to follow in my footsteps or even consider me as a role model.

Zaira later removed her first post and came up with a new one, where she claimed that she has "not been forced into anything by anyone". She, how-ever, deleted that too after sometime.

"Regarding my lst post, I have no idea why this has become such a big issues. I just wanted to make sure that I did not hurt anyone's feelings and all of a sudden it has been turned into national news.

Again and again I am telling people that I have not been forced into anything by anyone," she had said in the second post.

Former chief minister Omar Abdul-lah said Zaira should not be forced to apologise. "A 16 year old shouldn't be forced to apologise & that too allegedly for meeting @MehboobaMufti. What are we coming to!!!!!," he tweeted.

"I've a problem with @MehboobaM-ufti trying to usurp other peoples success to cover up her own failures but why punish/troll people she meets?," he added.

The Zaira issue also figured in the Jammu and Kashmir assembly when a BJP member claimed that the actress had received death threats. "I have come to

know from reliable people that the young girl of our state Zahira Wasim who played a beautiful role in Dangal movie and had recently met the state chief minister has received death threats" Ravinder Raina told the house while raising a "point of information" when the House was dis-cussing the budget,

Winding up the discussion on motion of thanks on governor's address to Joint houses of Legislature, Meh-booba also referred to Zaira's "excel-lent role" in "Dangal", and said, "our children are showing excellence in the fields of sports and others but unfortu-nately they don't get the due opportu-nity and appreciation".PROVIDE SECURITY TO ZAIRA: BJP

Meanwhile, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Monday sought secu-rity for the Zaira Wasim who had fea-tured in Dangal movie after “threats by the separatist elements”.

The BJP MLA, Ravindra Raina jumped into the well and sought secu-rity for the Dangal girl after the House proceedings resumed post break. “Zaira who has made us proud by fea-turing in a movie is being threatened by separatists, the government should pro-vide her security,” he demanded. “She is facing threats on her life and is being threatened by terrorists,” Raina said.

Child dies after consuming ‘Roasted Corn’ in Kulgam village5 Kids Of Family Undergoing Treatment, Stable

ZEHRU NISSA

Srinagar, Jan 16: Six children were taken sick Sunday afternoon at a village in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district, reportedly after consuming roasted corn. While one of the children was declared brought dead at District Hospital (DH) Kulgam, five others were referred to Mother and Child Hospi-tal (MCH) Anantnag where their condition is stated to be stable. Samples of corn con-sumed by children have been lifted by Food Safety Department for analysis.

A 10-year old boy Adnan Altaf, son of Altaf Ahmed Khan was declared brought dead by doctors at DH Kulgam Sunday after-noon, officials at the hospital said. Five more children, his siblings and cousins, were given stomach wash and referred for further management to MCH Anantnag, the hospital administration said while refusing to com-ment on the nature of the “poisoning”. “We have preserved the stomach wash contents and if police requires, we can provide it,” said Medical Superintendent DH Kulgam, Dr R D Kasana.

Commenting on the incident, the Chief Medical Officer Kulgam said the case had

come to fore in village Cheki-Watoo, Damhal Hanjipora. “Six children of two brothers had reportedly consumed maize or corn that was purchased from a local shop and roasted at home,” he said.

The CMO said the health authorities had requested the Food Safety Officers to inves-tigate the matter from Food Safety point of view. “Police have registered a case under 174 CrPC,” he added.

Assistant Food Commissioner Kulgam, Zameer Ahmed said that the department had lifted samples of the corn sold by the local shopkeeper. “We have taken the samples and are sending these for analysis. Meanwhile, we have also closed the shop down,” he said.

The Medical Superintendent, MCH Anant-nag, Dr GM Bhat said, “The other five sick children were given symptomatic treatment. It appeared to be a case of food poisoning and we gave the patients IV fluids and man-aged other symptoms. The children had been given poison antidote at Kulgam and were currently stable and ready to be discharged.”

The children had been admitted with vomiting and giddiness, doctors said. The other five children, as per hospital records are in the age group of five and 16.

8 month old baby girl killed during scuffle between her parents

IRFAN AHMED

Ganderbal, Jan 16: In a shocking incident, an eight month old baby girl was allegedly killed by her father, during a scuffle in this central Kashmir district on Monday.

Police sources said that an eight month old baby girl Aalima Jan died after she was alleg-edly hit in head and tossed on the floor by her father during a heated argument which turned into a brawl between him and his wife.

They said the accused man has been arrested and put behind bars. The DySP HQ Ganderbal, Rameez Raja while talking to Greater Kashmir said, “We have arrested the accused Javeed Ahmed Wani son of Ghulam Muhammad of Bamloora Ganderbal and fur-ther investigations in the case have been taken up. After legal formalities the body of the deceased baby was handed over to the family for last rites”

A case under Section 302, 109 RPC has

been registered in this regard, the offi-cial added.

Meanwhile, the family and the relatives of the deceased held a protest here demand-ing stern action against the accused. “We demand stern action against him (Javed) who mercilessly killed our innocent baby” the protesters said.

Women stage protest at Ganderbal demand stern action against the accused.

26 killed in cross border firing in 2 years: JK GovtMUKEET AKMALI

Jammu, Jan 16: Jammu and Kashmir government on Monday revealed that 26 persons were killed and 158 sua-tined injuries in cross border firing in the state during the past two years.

The Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti in a written reply to the ques-tion of MLA, Ali Muhammad Sagar, stated 26 persons were killed in two years. Of which 14 persons were killed in 2015 and 12 persons in 2016. Similarly as per the reply, 158 were injured. At least 79 persons each were injured in 2015 and 2016 respectively.

The reply reads that assessment of structures damaged due to recent

shelling during 2016 is under process. “The compensation @50 percent in respect of loss to immovable property damaged due to border shelling subject to the ceiling of Rs 1 lakh as per the norms will be paid after completion of formalities,” the Chief Minister stated.

To a question seeking details about the steps taken to take up the matter with the Government of India (GoI) for allocation of funds for construction of underground bunkers and reha-bilitation centres at suitable places and response of GoI in this behalf, the Chief Minister stated: “A proposal for construction of as many as 20,125 com-munity type bunkers at various places along the International Border/LOC in

Jammu division stands submitted to the Ministry of Home Affairs Government of India vide No. Home 47/Acctts/2013/861 dated 23-2-2015 for an amount of 1006.25 crore. The Ministry of Home Affairs has approved construction of 60 con-crete community type bunkers @ Rs 5. Lakh per bunker, in the border block of Jammu district for an amount of Rs 300 crore lakh as pilot project. The construc-tion work is in progress. Upto ending December, 2016 an amount of Rs 176.87 lakh had been spent.”

The Chief Minister stated that during recent incidents of cross border firing, various measures were taken for the safety and convenience of the people residing in the border

districts. “The affected families were shifted to safer places temporarily in government and private accom-modations where they were provided basic amenities. Further security was augmented in border areas and anti-infiltration grid strengthened. Police deployment was increased and ade-quate security provided in the border villages to ensure protection of prop-erty. Vehicles were fitted with sirens and public address system to make border population aware timely, in the event of exigency. Majority of the people have returned to their homes in view of harvesting seasons of Kharief crops and after improvement in the situation," the Chief Minister said.

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