SRINAGAR : Jammu and Kashmir Legislative Council Chairman Kavinder Gupta and Leader of the Opposition Omar Abdullah today urged the people of Jammu region to maintain peace following tension over alleged vandalization of a temple by a “mentally-disturbed” man.
As soon as the Lower House resumed today, Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) members asked the government to give a statement on the incident, alleging that it was a deliberate attempt to disturb law and order situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
Following this, Minister for Rural Development & Panchayati Raj and Law & Justice Abdul Haq Khan read out a statement in the House and said that the preliminary investigation states that the person who tried to damage a temple in Janipur in Jammu was mentally-disturbed.
The minister further said that a Pujari of the temple and some locals tried to stop police from discharging their duty. “Later, pujari and locals assembled outside the local police station and vandalized two police busses, and damaged other property following which mild lathicharge and teargas were used,” he said.
As the minister ended his statement, there was a brief exchange of words between the members from BJP and Opposition in the House though nothing was audible as it was very noisy.
However, member from CPI (M) Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami intervened and urged the House not to get divided over the incident. “We should not get divided on this issue. It is a condom able act and the person involved in this incident is a mentally-disturbed person,” he urged the members of House.
Meanwhile, Mr Abdullah echoing Mr Tarigami’s statement said that the House should not get divided on the issue as people will take queue from the actions of their representatives.
He urged members of the House to work together on this issue and ensure peace in Jammu region.
Mr Abdullah, while appreciating Mr Tarigami’s statement, said that the statement to maintain peace in the house should have come from the treasury bench, but in the past one year such appeals have been coming from the Opposition.
“We have seen from the last one year that the appeal for peace has been coming from the Opposition. Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister should have been here to re-assure the House and send a message of peace to the people,” he said.
Lashing out at Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti over her absence from the House, he said usually she intervenes and answers questions, but she is not here to intervene on this issue which has a potential to disturb peace in the State.
Mr Abdullah requested the Speaker to send a message to the people of Jammu region to maintain peace.
Reacting to Mr Abdullah’s criticism, Mr Khan said that the Chief Minister and the Deputy Chief Minister are in Jammu and are monitoring the situation.
Later, the Speaker condemned the incident and urged the people to maintain law and order. (AGENCIES)
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