Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday expressed concern over what he described as a “growing atmosphere of distrust faced by the people of Jammu and Kashmir outside the Union Territory in the aftermath of the November 10 Delhi car blast”.
Speaking at an event in south Kashmir’s Kulgam, Omar Abdullah as per news agency Kashmir Indepth News Service (KINS) said a “dangerous narrative” was being built to hold an entire population accountable for the actions of a few.
“What happened in Delhi was deeply unfortunate, but it is equally unfortunate that a narrative is being pushed to blame an entire population for the actions of a few,” he said. “Today, even driving a car with a Jammu & Kashmir registration in the national capital is treated with suspicion. I, too, feel a sense of fear when I’m without security, wondering on which road I might be stopped or questioned, simply because of where my vehicle is registered.”
The chief minister said the prevailing situation had created fear among families about sending their children outside Jammu and Kashmir.
“In these circumstances, perhaps parents will not like to send their children outside,” he said. “When we are looked at with suspicious eyes from every side, when attempts are made to defame us for someone else’s doing, when attempts are made to bring everyone under the shadow of what a few people have done, it becomes difficult for us to step outside. It does not feel good to say this, but that is the reality.”
Abdullah reiterated that only a handful of individuals were responsible for the deadly blast near the Red Fort, which claimed 15 lives, but a perception was being created that the entire community was complicit.
“Few people are responsible for what happened in Delhi, but a perception is being created that we all are to blame and we all are part of it,” he said. (KINS)
