Omar welcomes PM’s speech on Kashmir in radio address

SRINAGAR: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah has lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi’ speech on Kashmir situation in his radio address on Sunday. However, independent MLA Engineer Abdul Rashid has said PM was “playing with words”, rather than offering something concrete.

“Good to see @narendramodi ji continuing where he left off after meeting opposition parties in Delhi last Monday,” Abdullah tweeted after Modi reached out to violence-torn Kashmir, where he said any life lost in the Valley, be it that of a young man or security personnel, was a loss for India.

In response to Modi’s assertions that those pushing youth towards stone pelting in Kashmir will someday have to answer them, Abdullah said the youth were pushed due to “our collective mistakes”.

“Unfortunately sir a lot of these youngsters have been pushed there by our collective mistakes and mishandling of J&K,” Abdullah said.

While reacting to Modi’s references to Kashmir in his monthly radio address ‘Mann Ki Baat’, Engineer Rashid, in a statement said he wanted “Indian leadership not to play with the words but accept the right to selfdetermination for J&K”.

“PM must leave the traditional words and collect courage to own the truth,” Rashid said.

“While every death is painful but PM can’t pass the buck by equating one death of security forces with the 70 deaths of civilians including women and children,” he said. Rashid added Kashmiris were “fed up of all party delegations, trackII diplomacy and sweet word”, and added that before sending anybody to Kashmir, New Delhi must accept the “nature of dispute”. Sunday was the 51st day of curfew, restrictions and shutdown in Kashmir valley, which has been on the boil after the killing of Hizb-ul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8.

People clashed with government forces in Ashajipora area of south Kashmir’s Anantnag town after government forces allegedly made overnight raids to arrest youth.

As many as 68 civilians and two policemen have lost their lives during clashes as security forces have retaliated with bullets and pellets to control spiralling protests since Burhan’s death.

Good to see Narendra Modi continuing where he left off after meeting opposition parties in Delhi last Monday. Unfortunately, a lot of these youngsters have been pushed there by our collective mistakes and mishandling of J&K. OMAR ABDULLAH, NC working president