Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and Opposition National Conference (NC) working president Omar Abdullah has called for closure of NIT Srinagar for a couple of weeks to “cool tempers” and resol
Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and Opposition National Conference (NC) working president Omar Abdullah has called for closure of NIT Srinagar for a couple of weeks to “cool tempers” and resolve the issue.
He also said that a wrong precedent had been set by deploying CRPF inside the NIT campus and bringing special teams from the HRD ministry.
Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, meanwhile, mounted an attack on the BJP-PDP government in Jammu and Kashmir, accusing it of using “brute” force against NIT students in Srinagar. “Strongly condemn lathicharge on #NITSrinagar students. When will BJP & allies learn that brute force against students can never be a solution ” Mr Gandhi said on Twitter.
Party spokesman Manish Tewari too took a dig at the BJP over the issue. “#NationalismBJPSTYLE thrash students in Srinagar who stand for India and divide rest of the country on Bharat Mata Ki Jai, Vande Matram etc!” he tweeted.
The state Congress demanded a time-bound judicial inquiry into the lathicharge and the alleged lapses in handling of the situation. It expressed serious concern over the prevailing situation and the sense of insecurity among the students and parents which has “further aggravated due to the uncalled for and unjustified use of force”.
The NC expressed disappointment at chief minister Mehbooba Mufti’s “misplaced priorities” and her “bypassing” by New Delhi in dealing with the NIT issue. Party’s chief spokesperson Aga Syed Ruhullah said it was evident that the institution of the chief minister had been relegated to the sidelines as New Delhi was now directly handling the law and order affairs of the state. “Rather than focusing on this serious issue and being at the forefront of resolving it, Mehbooba Mufti is apparently more occupied with holding customary meetings at the Civil Secretariat. At a time when the NIT issue has become a flashpoint, she continues to be far removed from the ground reality and has been disempowered by New Delhi,” he alleged.
He criticised the move of replacing the J&K police with the CRPF on the campus and said this indicated not only New Delhi’s complete lack of confidence in Ms Mufti’s ability as the chief minister, but also highlighted the fact that she has failed to stand up for the J&K police.
Senior Hurriyat Conference leader Nayeem Ahmad Khan on Thursday asked the outstation students of NIT to “focus on studies and not to get swayed by pseudo-patriotism without knowing about the history of the Kashmir problem”.
The Kashmir Chamber of Commerce & Industry (Inc) said it is watching with grave concern the events related to trivial issues that crept in between the students and the management of NIT Srinagar and alleged that the same is being fanned out of proportion by the “politically motivated vested interest”.
