Pro-Pak Andrabi in Kashmir poster for ‘Beti Bachao’

SRINAGAR: Kashmir’s hardline separatist woman leader is a role model on a poster for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s signature “beti bachao, beti padhao”, a social campaign for girls to arrest the skewed child sex ratio in the country.

The government poster has the image of a burka-clad Asiya Andrabi, founding leader of Dukhtaran-e-Millat, an allwoman outfit, who is behind bars since May this year. It also features CM Mehbooba Mufti, Mother Teresa and former PM Indira Gandhi, among others.

Besides, the poster shows a wrong photograph of Kashmir’s first IPS officer, Ruweda Salam. It was unveiled at an event organised by the state tourism department at Kokernag in south Kashmir on Wednesday, which senior ministers and bureaucrats attended. Andrabi is a hardcore pro-Pakistan separatist leader and her image in a government campaign generated curiosity and criticism.

The BJP, which rules the state with coalition partner Peoples Democratic Party of chief minister Mufti, demanded an inquiry. Party spokesman Sunil Sethi demanded action against people responsible for the “goof-up”. The poster was issued by the Integrated Child Development Services (ICDS).

But ICDS minister Asiya Naqash said she was not aware of the mistake and didn’t attend the function at Kokernag. “I came to know only through HT. I will enquire and gather facts. Only then I will react. ”Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao literally means save and educate girls.