Omar Abdullah condemns targeted killings in J&K; says 'Kashmir far from normal today'

Reacting to the latest developments in Jammu and Kashmir including the killing of a Kashmiri Pandit and a police constable in two separate incidents followed by massive protests by people, former J&K chief minister and National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah has strongly condemned the incidents stating that "Kashmir is far from normalcy" in the present circumstances. 

In a series of tweets, the NC leader initially slammed the Jammu and Kashmir administration for stopping the protest of the Kashmiri Pandits over the murder of a government employee Rahul Bhat in J&K's Budgam district. He said that it is shameful that legitimate and justified protests are met with a heavy-handed response.

Sharing a video of the protest march by members of the Kashmiri Pandit community, Abdullah said, "This is not new for the people of Kashmir because when all the administration has is a hammer every problem resembles a nail. If the LG’s Govt can’t protect KPs they have a right to protest. (sic)"

Notably, in another tweet, Omar Abdullah referred to the murder of Rahul Bhat and also mentioned another incident where a police constable was killed by terrorists in Pulwama adding that "targeted killings continue unabated" in J&K. 

Expressing anguish upon the tense situations, he further said, "Tourism is not normalcy, it’s a barometer of economic activity. Normalcy is the absence of fear, the absence of terror, the inability of militants to strike at will, the presence of democratic rule and by any yardstick you choose to use, Kashmir is far from normal today."

Tensions across J&K over targetted killings 

Earlier on Thursday, Rahul Bhat, a Kashmiri Pandit who was working as a clerk in the Tehsildar's office was attacked by a group of terrorists who fired bullets at him. Following this, he was immediately rushed to the hospital in a critical condition and was later moved to Srinagar. However, after battling for his life for several hours, Bhat succumbed to his injuries at the Shri Maharaja Hari Singh Hospital in Srinagar. 

While massive protests had erupted over this incident, another report from the Pulwama district informed about an injured police constable Reyaz Thokar succumbing to his injuries after he was shot at by terrorists earlier this morning. 

(Image: ANI)