“India has rule of law and not that of any religion”, Congress said today sharply reacting to online threats to the first all-girl rock band of Kashmir following a decree issued by Grand Mufti Bashiruddin Ahmad.
“This is a secular country and the Constitution has given every citizen freedom of expression. Religion is one thing and the Constitution is another. No one can put any type of ban on anything because it is not as per a particular religion”, party spokesman Rashid Alvi told reporters.
Reacting to reports that the band “Pragash” has given up music following the decree issued by the Grand Mufti and all other bands in the Valley too have decided to wind up, Alvi said “India has a rule of law and not that of any religion”. The band decided to quit music after the ‘fatwa’ was issued by the cleric. “We respect the Mufti sahib who said it is ‘haram’. We respect the opinion of people of Kashmir also,” one of the members of the band said.
The girls, vocalist-guitarist Noma Nazir (16), drummer Farah Deeba and guitarist Aneeka Khalid (both 15), who defied convention to form the rock band “Pragaash” (darkness to light), have stopped live shows in the wake of the online threats to them.