NC slams BJP, PDP for rise in militancy

Amir Karim Tantray

Tribune News Service

Jammu, January 8

Getting into poll mode, National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah blamed the BJP-led government at the Centre and former PDP-BJP government in the state for an increase in terror-related activities.

He said during his tenure as J&K Chief Minister, militancy had almost been wiped out from most areas and only a few militants were active in Kashmir but now scores of youth were joining militant ranks every day.

“The areas which became free of militancy during our tenure are again getting infested with militancy. Nagrota attack, Akhnoor attack, Sunjwan attack and the grenade attack at the bus stand in Jammu. I will not talk about the military camps of Kashmir where every now and then attacks happen but here it is very bad. In Kishtwar, BJP leaders were killed by militants. The Chenab valley was freed from militancy but now we are getting news that it is coming back,” Omar said while addressing the NC youth convention at the Sher-e-Kashmir Bhawan here.

The former Chief Minister was critical of the Modi-government policies, especially demonetisation, which he said was described as a tool to bring back black money. “They failed, and then they said that terrorism will come to an end. Did that happen?” Omar asked.

He was also critical on the timing of bringing the reservation Bill for the economically weaker section of upper castes. “Tell me why did he wait for four and a half years for this Bill and bring it on the last day of last session of Parliament. They don’t have the intention of giving reservation and are doing it because the BJP lost in four states. It is nothing but politics,” he said.

Omar lashed out at Mehbooba Mufti for asking youth to join the PDP. “These youth were sprayed with bullets in 2016 and were told that guns in the hands of Army and CRPF men were not for display. Youth are not given space to give vent to their anger and are arrested on a simple Facebook post,” the NC vice-president said. Commenting on Governor’s remarks that J&K was like any other state and more people got killed in Patna than J&K. “If more people get killed in Patna then Nitish Kumar must answer. But it is wrong to compare J&K with any other state... Wars are fought on J&K and shelling kills soldiers and people here,” Omar told reporters after the event.