Omar Abdullah Says Violence Continues In J&K Despite Article 370 Revocation

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Wednesday that the abrogation of Article 370 has failed to end violence in the Union territory, insisting that those in charge of security must be held accountable. According to PTI, Abdullah told reporters in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district that despite repeated assurances, bloodshed has continued.

“We want this cycle (of violence) to stop. Jammu and Kashmir, especially Kashmir, has witnessed so much bloodshed in the last 30-35 years. We were told that this will not happen now and this cycle will end after 2019. But, it has not,” he said.

The Centre revoked Jammu and Kashmir’s special status on 5 August 2019 and reorganised the erstwhile state into the Union territories of J-K and Ladakh. PTI reported that Abdullah stressed that responsibility for ongoing violence lies with those overseeing security in the region.

“You will have to ask those responsible for our security as to why it (violence) has not ended. That responsibility does not lie in our hands,” he said.

Highlighting continuing security concerns, Abdullah noted that incidents of violence persist across different locations. “If a bomb is not exploding in Delhi, then it goes off here,” he said, referring to the recent car blast near Delhi’s Red Fort and Friday’s accidental explosion at the Nowgam Police Station in Srinagar.

He expressed anguish over the loss of innocent lives. Abdullah said he visited five families for condolence meetings on Tuesday and planned to meet two more on Wednesday.

As reported by PTI, he met the families of Aijaz Afzal Mir at HMT Zainakote, Mohammad Amin Mir at Bemina, and Showkat Ahmad Bhat at Qamarwari—members of the Forensic Science Laboratory team—as well as Suhail Ahmad Rather at Natipora, a revenue department chowkidar, and Mohammad Shafi Paray at Wanabal, a tailor. All five were killed in the Nowgam blast on Friday.

(With inputs from PTI)