NC chief demands judicial probe into twin terror attacks in J&K, asks Pakistan to stop terrorism

Mendhar/Rajouri, May 19 (PTI) National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Sunday urged the Centre to order a judicial probe into the twin terror attacks in Jammu and Kashmir a day earlier and also asked Pakistan to stop supporting terrorism in the region.

The former chief minister said if a probe is not ordered into the two gruesome incidents, his party would “invite an international committee” to conduct an investigation to find out the culprits behind such attacks.

Reacting to Abdullah’s statement, senior BJP leader and former deputy chief minister Kavinder Gupta said the NC chief should seek unconditional public apology for his remark and “misleading people” by “raising fingers against the government whenever there is a terror strike in the region”.

Terrorists struck at two places in Kashmir on Saturday night, killing Aijaz Sheikh, a former sarpanch affiliated with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in Shopian and injuring a tourist couple from Rajasthan in Anantnag.

Speaking to reporters after an election rally in Rajouri, Abdullah demanded a judicial probe into the two terror incidents.

“Both the incidents should be probed by a judge to know who are behind these attacks… I do not know whether it is a conspiracy but such incidents definitely need to be investigated,” the NC leader said.

“The government has failed to identify the people behind such killings. I am demanding investigation by a judge so that the truth can come to surface,” he said.

Addressing mediapersons on the sidelines of an election rally in the Mendhar area of nearby Poonch district earlier in the day, the NC chief said, “I have been repeatedly saying that those sitting in Delhi are misleading the people by saying Article 370 was responsible for terrorism. How many years have passed since the abrogation of the Article? Has terrorism stopped?” Abdullah told reporters

Referring to the killing of Sheikh, he said an innocent former sarpanch of BJP lost his life in the attack.

“Had he not the right to live? This is a free country and any party can propagate its ideology. Who killed him should be probed and that too soon,” the NC chief said.

“If they (Centre) do not go for the probe, we should invite an international committee to investigate who is responsible for such attacks,” Abdullah said.

He added that peace will elude the region till the terrorism is completely stopped.

“I want to tell our neigbhour Pakistan to stop terrorism (in J-K). After the terror activities are stopped, both countries can sit together and resolve their issues,” he said.

Addressing reporters after the Rajouri rally, the NC president also referred to the targeted killings of Kashmiri Pandits in the past few years and accused the BJP of using such tragic incidents to spread hatred in the country.

He claimed that contrary to the BJP’s statements, terrorism is still prevalent in Jammu and Kashmir even after abrogation of the Article 370 in August 2019.

Meanwhile, senior BJP leader Gupta reacted sharply over the “highly objectionable” remarks of Abdullah and said the politician has “gone out of his mind” and should take his words back besides seeking unconditional public apology.

“Abdullah is habitual of raising fingers against the government whenever there is a terror strike in the region, which is highly deplorable and needs to be decried by all. Misleading the people has become his priority since he and his party has lost political ground in Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.

Gupta expressed grief over the killing of the former sarpanch and also demanded all possible help for the couple from Rajasthan, injured in another terror attack.

In Mendhar, Abdullah claimed that Home Minister Amit Shah met NC detractors during his recent two-day tour of Srinagar.

“He is the home minister and can visit to oversee the arrangements. But I was told that he had specially invited some people and the meeting continued past midnight. He has not met me but met those who are against our party. You can judge yourself what was the purpose of the visit,” he said.

Asked about Apni Party president Altaf Bukhari’s claim that the home minister had come to benefit NC and PDP ahead of the fifth and sixth phase of parliamentary elections, Abdullah said he did not want to talk about the party and their claims.

“Who brought the gun here (in J-K) and who raised a party which brought the gun from across the border and targeted our innocent people and workers? Who was the person getting money from Pakistan and distributing it among the people here?” he said without naming anyone but apparently referring to separatist-turned-mainstream politician Sajad Lone.

Abdullah said he had repeatedly told the Parliament that the same people are now standing with the BJP.

Meanwhile, the BJP’s youth wing staged a protest demonstration against the twin terror attacks at Kachi Chawani area of Jammu city, chanting slogans against terrorism and Pakistan.