Srinagar, Sept 2 (UNI) Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday alleged that the administration and police “facilitated” the BJP’s protest while “brutally repressing” the National Conference demonstration in Srinagar, rejecting any comparison between the two protests.
Omar was asked about the BJP and NC leaders and workers taking to the streets in Srinagar on Wednesday to protest against each other, even as police halted their respective marches towards their intended destinations.
“..You saw BJP being allowed to protest and National Conference not being allowed to protest. That is what you saw today. So please, don’t draw false equivalence,” Omar told reporters in Srinagar on the sidelines of a function.
He alleged that there was “no equivalence” in the manner in which the two parties were treated by the administration and police.
“One was facilitated and one was brutally repressed. Colleagues of mine were dragged. They were injured. Some of them had to seek treatment in hospital,” the Chief Minister said.
Omar said BJP workers were escorted during their protest, while NC workers were stopped from proceeding with their march.
“The BJP was escorted. You were there. I saw many of you accompanying that protest. The ease with which you were able to interview the Leader of the Opposition during their protest was seen by all of us. So please don’t say that you saw two protests. You didn’t. You saw one and you saw one protest that was denied,” Omar said.
He alleged that the contrasting treatment of the two parties reflected the prevailing situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
“If you want to march on the Chief Minister’s residence, you are allowed to. If you want to gherau the Secretariat, you are allowed to. But if you want to protest outside the BJP’s office, God forbid, that you will not be allowed because the police is there only to protect the honour of the BJP. They don’t care about anything else,” he said.
“One was facilitated and one was brutally repressed. Colleagues of mine were dragged. They were injured. Some of them had to seek treatment in hospital,” the Chief Minister said.
Omar said BJP workers were escorted during their protest, while NC workers were stopped from proceeding with their march.
“The BJP was escorted. You were there. I saw many of you accompanying that protest. The ease with which you were able to interview the Leader of the Opposition during their protest was seen by all of us. So please don’t say that you saw two protests. You didn’t. You saw one and you saw one protest that was denied,” Omar said.
He alleged that the contrasting treatment of the two parties reflected the prevailing situation in Jammu and Kashmir.
“If you want to march on the Chief Minister’s residence, you are allowed to. If you want to gherau the Secretariat, you are allowed to. But if you want to protest outside the BJP’s office, God forbid, that you will not be allowed because the police is there only to protect the honour of the BJP. They don’t care about anything else,” he said.
“My government does not have the power to investigate the accusations that have been made. If there have been backdoor appointments, then which agency investigated them? If there has been corruption, then the Anti-Corruption Bureau is not under my control. The Crime Branch is not under my control. The CID is not under my control,” he said.
“These are baseless allegations from the BJP, because they have nothing else to say. They themselves fail every day, and make us the target…We are suffering for their sins. We are trying to rectify them, and they are making allegations,” he said, quoting the saying, “Ulta chor kotwal ko dante.”
Chief Minister also welcomed the recent remarks of the RSS chief on the place of Muslims in India, but said the statement would have meaning only if it was reflected in action on the ground.
He questioned whether the sentiment expressed by the RSS chief was being implemented in everyday life.
“It is a very good thing that the RSS chief said that those who consider Muslims as strangers, that there is no place for them in India, they are not true Hindus,” he said.
Omar, however, called for the statement to be translated into action.
“But I would like the people of India to act on this. Then I will say that what he said is right,” he said.
