‘Not every Kashmiri is a terrorist’: CM Omar Abdullah on Delhi blast probe
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Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said that not every Kashmiri is a terrorist and that viewing every citizen of the Union Territory with suspicion only pushes people away from the right path.
Speaking to reporters in Jammu, Abdullah said, “No amount of condemnation of this incident is enough. The brutal killing of innocent people in this manner is unacceptable; no religion allows this. The investigation is underway, and all culprits must be punished.”
Referring to the recent Delhi terror blast, the Chief Minister emphasised that branding every citizen of Jammu and Kashmir as a suspect was unjust. “Not every person in Jammu and Kashmir is a terrorist or associated with terrorists. These are just a few people who have always tried to disrupt peace and brotherhood here,” he said.
“Unfortunately, when we start looking at every person in Jammu and Kashmir and every Kashmiri Muslim with suspicion, and begin portraying every Kashmiri Muslim as a terrorist, it becomes very difficult to keep people on the right path,” Abdullah added.
He stressed that while those responsible for such heinous acts must be punished severely, innocent people should not be dragged into it. The Chief Minister noted that in several cases, even educated individuals were found involved in terrorism, but the actions of a few should not taint the entire community.
Abdullah recalled his response after the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, in which 26 civilians — including 25 tourists and a local pony owner — were killed by Pakistan-backed Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) terrorists. At that time, he had asserted that Kashmiris should not be punished for the acts committed by foreign terrorists.
The recent unearthing of a terror module allegedly run by Kashmiri doctors has embarrassed the Chief Minister, who has been striving to revive tourism in the Valley and protect the local economy by promoting business, travel, and people-to-people interaction between Kashmir and other parts of the country.
With PTI inputs