Condemning the November 10 Delhi blast, in which the main suspect is reported to be from Pulwama, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said that not every citizen of the UT is associated with terrorists, and only a few people are disrupting the peace.
On the involvement of the accused from South Kashmir’s Pulwama, Abdullah speaking to reporters here on the sidelines of a function in Jammu University, said, “I gave my reaction on the very first day. No amount of condemnation of this incident is enough.”
“The brutal killing of innocent people is unacceptable. No religion allows this,” he said, adding that the investigation is going on and the culprits must be punished.
The Chief Minister further said that not every person in Jammu and Kashmir is a terrorist or linked with terrorism.
“One thing we must keep in mind is that not every person in Jammu and Kashmir is a terrorist or associated with the terrorists. There are just a few people who have always tried to disrupt peace and brotherhood,” he added.
“Unfortunately, when we start looking at every person in Jammu and Kashmir and start treating every Kashmiri Muslim as a terrorist, it becomes very difficult to keep people on the right track,” he said.
To a query about the alleged accused, including a doctor, he said: “I am shocked that when he was fired from service for terror links, what investigation was done after that? You fired him from the job, so what happened If you believe he was involved in terrorist activities, then why didn’t you take that evidence to court? Why was he not prosecuted.”
Abdullah added, “Many times, educated people are found involved in terror acts, but I request that innocent people should be kept out of this.”
He asserted that the government can only help the central government to keep the situation normal, and they are doing that.
Notably, the main suspect, the driver of the explosive-laden car, was identified through DNA matching as Dr. Umar Mohammad, a general medicine specialist and former topper from Pulwama. Several other individuals arrested or under scrutiny for their links, including doctors Dr. Muzammil Shakeel Ganaie and Dr. Adeel Ahmad Rather, also hail from Kashmir.
One of the suspects, Dr. Nisar-ul-Hassan was dismissed by the Jammu and Kashmir administration in November 2023 for alleged terror links and “anti-state” activities. However, he was employed by Al-Falah University in Faridabad, which is under the scanner for its alleged links with the Delhi blast..
On November 10, a large amount of explosives – nearly 2,900 kg, suspected to be ammonium nitrate, and weapons were recovered from homes rented by a J&K-based doctor, Muzammil Shakeel, in Faridabad.
