'J&K cops busy being jailers rather than protectors': Omar cites attack on BJP workers

Amid rising incidents of terror attacks on BJP workers in Jammu and Kashmir, former Chief Minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah took an aim at the UT administration saying it is failing to provide security to political workers since the police are "too busy being jailers rather than protectors", in reference to the continued detention of mainstream Valley politicians.

On Tuesday, the J&K administration informed the high court that none of the 16 NC leaders, for whom the party’s president Farooq Abdullah and vice president Omar had filed a bunch of habeas corpus petitions seeking their release, had been detained and that they were free to move “with certain precautions” as deemed fit for their security.

Reacting to a news article on this, Omar asked if the matter is about the leaders' security, "then how come the same 'precautions' aren’t taken for BJP and Apni party leaders?" He said Congress leader Saifuddin Soz had "exposed the lies" of the administration when they took a similar line in the Supreme Court. 

During an SC hearing in July, the J&K administration had submitted that Soz was never under detention, a claim later called into question when the leader disputed saying that policemen were forcefully whisking him away from the media at his residence.

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Recent attacks on BJP leaders

On August 9, Abdul HamidNajar, who was BJP OBC District President and associated with the party for the last 5-6 years, was shot by terrorists during his morning walk in Budgam. Just four days before the incident, terrorists killed BJP Sarpanch Sajad Ahmad Khanday in South Kashmir's Kulgam district.

On July 15, BJP leader Mehraj-U-Din Malla was kidnapped by unknown men but was rescued by Jammu Kashmir Police. In July, Bandipora BJP president Wasim Bari and his family were attacked. In June, Congress Sarpanch Ajay Pandita was shot dead by assailants in Anantnag.

Former Deputy CM Kavinder Gupta, on Monday, demanded the UT administration to provide security to political leaders in the backdrop of such rising attacks. There has been a slew of resignations from BJP after the recent attacks on party sarpanches.

(PTI photo)

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