With the death toll and injuries mounting and the unrest showing no signs of ending, former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today asked the Centre and the Prime Minister to “wake up” to the crisis.
“At what point will the Centre wake up to the crisis here?” Omar said. He was responding to the reports of civilian killings in firing by security forces on Friday evening. Three civilians were killed and nearly 300 were injured as protests continued across the region on Friday.
Omar, who is the working president of National Conference, termed the latest killings as “heart breaking and worrying in equal measure”.
At least 53 civilians have been killed so far in the unrest following Burhan Wani’s death as police try to quell the widespread demonstrations in the region.
Omar also questioned the Centre’s report to Supreme Court claiming that the law and order situation was improving in Kashmir.
“By which stretch of imagination? I haven’t met anyone in the valley, except the BJP-PDP ostriches, who agree (with this statement),” he wrote on Twitter.
In a statement issued today, the former CM also expressed disappointment at the Centre and blamed it for the “apathy towards the very grave situation in Kashmir”.
“The Central government had misled the Supreme Court by saying the situation in the Valley was improving and under control,” Omar said.
He also expressed “complete disappointment at the lack of any political measures taken by the Central Government after the Union Home Minister’s visit to the Valley”. “Has New Delhi declared a war on the people in Kashmir? To blame Pakistan for the unrest or to delude ourselves into thinking this is a law and order situation is criminal. There is an extreme sense of resentment and disenchantment among the youth of the Valley and that is the basis of this unrest,” he added.
Centre remains insensitive to situation in Kashmir: Omar
