BJP hits back at Omar Abdullah, asserts Kashmir unrest not a political crisis

Coming down heavily on National Conference (NC) Omar Abdullah for saying that the problem in the Valley is a political one and cannot be handled administratively, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Sunday warned the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister not to politicize the issue.

"We thought Omar Abdullah would give suggestions to the President so that the situation in the Valley gets normal. But unfortunately, even Omar Abdullah politicized the matter. This is not the time to do politics. Jammu and Kashmir is not a political issue. It is an integral part of India," BJP leader Ravinder Raina told ANI.

Raina said all the political questions of Jammu-Kashmir were put to an end on October 26, 1947.

"Omar Abdullah's grandfather Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah in 1954 had ratified the fusion of Jammu-Kashmir into India. There are issues of terrorism and separatism in Kashmir. The fight in Jammu and Kashmir is not political. This is the fight between us and those wanting to kill democracy," he added.

Speaking to the media in the national capital after submitting a memorandum to President Pranab Mukherjee, Omar said yesterday that this was the first time in memory that initiatives that should have been taken by the government, are actually being taken by the opposition.

He said their meeting with the President, which cuts across party lines, symbolised the deep concerns that they have for the prevailing situation and also their disappointment at the way the matter has sought to be handled, both by the Centre as well as the state government.

Asserting that the unrest in the Valley stemmed from a political problem, Omar said that the situation cannot be handled administratively or by creating a humanitarian crisis.

In the memorandum, the opposition has requested the President to get the Government of India to acknowledge that the root cause of what is happening in the Valley, lies in the politics of Jammu and Kashmir, and the solution also must be found politically, not administratively and not through the use of force.

Further stating that it was ridiculous to blame Pakistan completely for the Kashmir unrest, he added that Islamabad was partially responsible in fanning the flames, but they were not solely to blame.

As many as 65 have been killed and thousands of civilians and security personnel reported injured in protest-related violence following the encounter of Hizb-ul-Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani on July 8.