Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah
Credit: PTI Photo
Jammu: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday called for the strictest punishment against those responsible for the deadly Delhi blast, but cautioned against branding people of Jammu and Kashmir as sympathisers of terrorism.
Talking to reporters, Abdullah said the actions of a "handful of people" should not define the vast majority of peace-loving residents of J&K.
"Every resident of Jammu and Kashmir is not a terrorist. Not every Kashmiri is on the side of terrorists. It is only a handful of people who have tried to disturb the peace and harmony here," the chief minister said.
He underscored the need to distinguish between the perpetrators and the general populace. "When we begin to look at every Kashmiri Muslim through the same lens and try to give the impression that every Kashmiri Muslim is a terrorist, it becomes very difficult to keep things on the right track," he cautioned.
The remarks come just three days after a blast in an explosives-laden car, which was being driven by Dr Umar Nabi of south Kashmir's Pulwama, near the Red Fort in Delhi killed 13 people and injured several others on November 10. Nabi has emerged as key in a terror network spanning Kashmir, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.
The blast occurred hours after the recovery of around 360 kg of suspected ammonium nitrate and a cache of arms and ammunition from the rented accommodation of another Kashmiri doctor, Muzammil Ganaie, in Faridabad, bordering Delhi.
Ganaie is among the eight people, including seven Kashmiris, arrested for their alleged links to the interstate 'white collar' Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM) terror module centred in Faridabad.
Abdullah said, "These few people are responsible for this attack. Those who are guilty should be given the strictest punishment, and innocent people should not get caught in it."
He said those responsible for the attack should be brought to justice and given the harshest punishment while ensuring that innocent people are not harassed.
When questioned about the detention of Arif Nisar Dar, a doctor from Srinagar's SMHS Hospital who was previously sacked by the Lt Governor in 2023 for alleged terror links, Abdullah questioned the lack of decision making.
"If you believed he had terror links and you had evidence, why didn't you take that evidence to court? Why was he not prosecuted? Merely dismissing someone from service doesn't end the matter—and today, we are seeing the result of that," he said, highlighting the need for timely and decisive legal action based on evidence.