Displaced Kashmiri Pandits under the banner of Jammu-Kashmir Vichar Manch (JKVM) organised a demonstration at Jantar Manter in New Delhi on July 24 to register their protest against the derogatory remarks made by National Conference chief Omar Abdullah in Parliament during the debate on vote of confidence. Condemening the remarks the Manch demanded an apology from Omar Abdullah.
Addressing the demonstrators JKVM Delhi chief Ajay Bharati said Omar Abdullah used the Parliament as a platform to further his divisive political agenda. Abdullah spoke brazen lies in his fanatic speech that was offending and derogatory and provoked Kuldeep Kumar, a young man at prime of his youth to sacrifice his life in Jammu.
?Conscious of the radical, undemocratic and unlawful role he and his party played during the anti-Amarnath Shrine Board campaign in Kashmir Valley, NC chief tried to emotionally blackmail people of India by his ?Indian Muslim? remark to protect his carefully cultivated moderate secular image. But he failed to hide his restricted political view while commenting on Amarnath Shrine land transfer issue. But the fact is that anti-land transfer protest in Kashmir Valley, which according to former Chief Minister Ghulam. Nabi Azad was funded by Pakistan and Saudi Arabia, began with attack on pilgrims at various places,? Shri Ajay Bharati said.
He further said Omar Abdullah was conveniently forgetting that it was NC government headed by his father Dr Farooq Abdullah that pleaded his inability to provide arrangements for pilgrims that had lead to constitution of Shri Amarnath Shrine Board. ?Farooq government had responded with restrictions and jazia like tax to discourage pilgrims from visiting the holy cave, after a climatic disaster killed more than 200 pilgrims in 1996. Another lie being perpetuated in a systematic manner is that Amarnath Yatra is 150-year-old affair. Well-documented evidence is available in abundance to establish the fact that devotees have been visiting the holy cave from ancient times,? he said.
Shri Bharati also said that the devotees of Lord Shiva are hurt by the unnecessary comments of Omar Abdullah. Commenting on Omar'sremarks, Shaheed Kuldeep Kumar had said that NC chief had stated in Lok Sabha that Kashmiris will die instead of transferring the land to SASB and ?I would show Shri Abdullah how the people of Jammu too can sacrifice their lives to get back the land?.
(FOC)
