J&K admin’s order on employee protests injustice against them: Farooq Abdullah

Srinagar, Nov 4 (PTI) The Jammu and Kashmir administration’s order warning its employees of disciplinary action if they resort to demonstrations and strikes is “injustice”, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah said on Saturday.

Saying that the National Conference (NC) stands with the government employees, Abdullah urged Jammu and Kashmir Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha to resolve their issues.

“I think this is injustice against them. The NC stands with them and we appeal to the government to give them what is their basic right.

“If those who run the government don’t work then how will the government function? I appeal to the LG to see to it and try to get rid of the difficulties of the employees,” Abdullah told reporters here.

On Friday, the J&K administration warned employees against going ahead with their proposed agitation, saying such acts will attract disciplinary action.

Meanwhile, the Jammu wing of the Joint Action Employees Forum (JAEF) decided to suspend their protest on Saturday after a meeting with Divisional Commissioner Ramesh Kumar Friday night and requested its Kashmir counterpart to follow suit.

On October 20, Jammu and Kashmir government employees had threatened to launch an agitation to press their various demands and said that there will be simultaneous protests in Jammu and Srinagar on November 4.

Asked about the closure of Jamia Masjid for Friday prayers and the alleged house arrest of Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in view of apprehensions of protest against Israel’s action in the Gaza Strip, Abdullah said Mirwaiz will only preach religion and tell people to live a good life.

“I regret that they have propagated worldwide that they have released Mirwaiz. He is a religious leader. He will only preach religion. He will talk only about Islam and other good things,” the NC president said.

Abdullah said many youths today were addicted to drugs, and Mirwaiz could spread awareness about the issue.

“He (Mirwaiz) will speak about it, about the opening of liquor shops. He will tell people to live a good life. It is his duty to show the people a righteous path. But they have detained him which is regrettable,” he said.

Abdullah, also the Lok Sabha MP from Srinagar, appealed to Union Home Minister Amit Shah to allow Mirwaiz to do his religious duty.

“When he (Shah) says Mirwaiz is free, then keep him free and allow him to do his work as a religious leader,” the former chief minister of J&K said.

Asked about Democratic Progressive Azad Party chief Ghulam Nabi Azad’s remark against J&K-based political parties saying that he (Azad) was the only leader who spoke in Parliament against the abrogation of Article 370, Abdullah said Azad was the same person who had earlier said that Article 370 cannot be restored now.

“What was that then? I will not say anything on this,” said.