According to J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, the Pahalgam terror assault affected every region of the nation, from east to west and north to south.
Following the terror incident in Pahalgam, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah sent a forceful message: his politics are not so “cheap” that he would take advantage of the tragedy to push for his government’s desire for independence.
“At the moment, the elected government has no authority over Jammu and Kashmir. However, I don’t want to take this as a chance to call for statehood. How can I request statehood from the Center using the Pahalgam tragedy? How cheap is my politics? Do I have such a low regard for these 26 lives? We have discussed statehood in the past and will continue to do so. However, I would be ashamed if I went to the Center and requested it right away. No politics, no commercial regulations, and no statehood at this time. During a special session, he addressed the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly, saying, “This time is only for the strong condemnation of this attack and heartfelt support for the victims.”
He once stopped some members from tapping the benches in applause of the Chief Minister’s address. “Not today, we will tap the benches some other day.”
Prior to August 5, 2019, when the Center revoked its special status and divided the former state into two Union territories—Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh—Mr. Abdullah’s National Conference had been calling for the return of Jammu and Kashmir to its previous statehood.
Mr. Abdullah claimed in his stirring speech that this horrible incident affected every region of the nation, from east to west and from north to south. On April 22, terrorists brutally murdered 25 tourists and a Kashmiri pony ride operator at Pahalgam’s Baisaran Meadow. The savagery of the attack has stunned both Jammu & Kashmir and the country.
The leader of the National Conference claimed that the attack was opposed by all of Kashmir and that it might be the “beginning of the end of terror” in the Valley.
“From north to south, east to west, Arunachal to Gujarat, Jammu to Kashmir to Kerala, the whole country has come in the throes of this attack,” Mr. Abdullah said, reading out the names and states of each of the 26 victims of the terror strike.
According to the chief minister, Jammu and Kashmir has begun to believe that these attacks are the cause. Unfortunately, Baisaran has put us in a similar predicament when it comes to anticipating the next onslaught. When we honored these individuals, the Leader of the Opposition and I were in the police control room. “I was at a loss for words to express my regret to the families of the victims,” he added.
According to Mr. Abdullah, the elected government is not in charge of security in Jammu & Kashmir. However, I welcomed them here in my capacity as Chief Minister and Minister of Tourism. It was my duty as their host to make sure they returned safely. I was unable to. I was at a loss for words. What could I say to the widow of that Navy officer who was married just days before, to those kids who watched their dads covered in blood? He stated, “They asked us what they had done wrong and said they had come to Kashmir for the first time and would pay for that vacation for the rest of their lives.”
“Those who did this claim they did it for us,” he said, referring to the terrorists who carried out this attack. However, did we request this? Did we mention that these 26 individuals ought to be returned in coffins in our honor? Did we consent to this? We’re all against this attack. We are hollowed out by this attack.”
He stated that this is the first time in more than 20 years that people in Jammu and Kashmir have taken to the streets to demonstrate against such a large-scale attack, emphasizing that one should find hope even in the darkest moments. “People protested against this in every town and village from Kathua to Kupwara. “Not in my name,” they said. He added, “And this is spontaneous.”
