Omar demands FIR against Jammu Bar president

Fayaz Bukhari
SRINAGAR, Apr 13: Former Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah, today demanded action against Jammu Bar Association president and sacking of two Cabinet Ministers of Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) for supporting rape and murder accused of 8-year old nomad girl.
Click here to watch video 
Omar said that the youth in Kashmir would have been slapped with Public Safety Act (PSA) if they would have ever made mention of taking arms in his hands. “If a youth from Kashmir would have talked about taking AK 47 into his hands, PSA would have been slapped on him. B S Slathia has not only threatened this State but entire country,” he said.
The NC working president said that Slathia also threatened police by saying that he won’t allow them to do their job. He demanded case should be filed against Slathia for his remark.
Slathia had, in a press conference yesterday, said: “There is a Tiranga in the hands of Jammu’s youth, tomorrow it can be AK-47 and bomb as well. Don’t force us to (take up arms).”
Omar said that action should be taken against the Ministers who supported the raped accused. “Action should be taken. We have been demanding action against the Ministers who rallied in favor of accused in rape and murders of 8-year old nomad girl in Kathua”, he said.
“The Ministers threatened the police who were investigating the matter and raised fingers against them. The Ministers mocked the police force by terming the law enforcement agency as Jungle Raj. Such Ministers have no place in the Cabinet”, the former Chief Minister said.
“We want the Chief Minister, Mehbooba Mufti, to adopt the same approach that she exhibited against the former Finance Minister Haseeb Drabu. The crime of these Ministers is more heinous than Drabu. If Mehbooba claims to have taken a brave step by expelling Drabu then, I think, she needs to show the same bravery today by expelling the Ministers”, Omar said.
“Her saying that the Prime Minister, Narender Modi, will take action is a mere excuse. Yesterday, her party spokesperson had said that the PM himself can expel the Ministers. It’s not up to him to decide on the expulsion of the Ministers of J&K, only CM has the power to decide who stays and who leaves. The CM has to take a call whether she wants to work with the Ministers who are supporting the perpetrators of this horrendous crime”, he said.
Omar said that the Crime Branch has done its work and it is now upto High Court to decide how victim will get justice. “The Crime Branch has done their work. The High Court has to decide how will nomad girl get the justice. We have said it earlier and are also repeating it today that if the case continues to be heard at Kathua there are fewer chances of justice. We still believe in it. But we leave it to the wisdom of High Court. We want that justice should be delivered somehow to the family and end the fear the tribal community is facing”, he said.
The NC working president lauded Tourism Minister Tassaduq Mufti, for his comment: “BJP-PDP partners in crime, people no longer trust us. There are very few instances in politics” to make “honest” statements”.
“He has not much experience of politics. He is only a few months old Minister. I would not say his remarks came late. I salute his honesty… very few instances come in politics to see this kind of honesty and sincerity”.
Tassaduq, in an interview to a newspaper had said: “Today the threat is that while we are in control, we are no longer trusted. We were supposed to be partners in rebuilding of this place but, sad to admit this, due to the non-fulfilling of commitments, we have ended up being partners in a crime that an entire generation of Kashmiris might have to pay with their blood.”
Earlier, National Conference president Dr. Farooq Abdullah chaired a meeting of the Party’s Core Group at Party Headquarters ‘Nawa-e-Subha’ in Srinagar. The meeting was also attended by NC Working President Omar Abdullah along with other members of the Core Group.
The Core Group discussed in detail the insensitive handling of the horrific Kathua rape and murder case by the State Government and also expressed disappointment at the failure of the Chief Minister to act against two Cabinet Ministers who openly rallied support to divisive groups out to subvert the investigation and shield the accused.
The Core Group expressed solidarity with the victim’s family and resolved that the party will not cooperate with the State Government until and unless the two erring Cabinet Ministers are sacked for their unacceptable, abhorrent and criminal behavior in the light of this tragedy and its politicization. The Core Group resolved the party would consider launching a civil disobedience movement against the State Government if it fails to act against the Ministers.
The Core Group also expressed serious concern over the unabated civilian killings in Kashmir and said the Government had failed to protect the lives of innocent civilians by abdicating its basic moral and legal responsibilities. Expressing solidarity with the families of those civilians who had lost their lives, the party extended heartfelt condolences to them. The Core Group said the deteriorating law and order situation in the State was a matter of grave concern and reflected the continued adverse implications of the ruling dispensation’s opportunism and anti-people policies.
The Core Group meeting was also attended by NC General Secretary Ali Mohammad Sagar, Mohammad Shafi Uri, Abdul Rahim Rather, Mubarak Gul, Mohammad Akbar Lone, Chaudhary Mohammad Ramzan, Nasir Aslam Wani, Devender Singh Rana, Ajay Sadhotra, Surjeet Singh Slathia, Sajjad Ahmed Kitchloo, Khalid Najeeb Suharwardy, Mushtaq Ahmed Bukhari, Mian Altaf Ahmed, Javed Rana and Shammi Oberoi.

LEAVE A REPLY

Please enter your comment!
Please enter your name here