J-K violence: Jaitley pulls up Omar for targetting Modi

Leader of Opposition in Rajya Arun Jaitley on Monday hit back at Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who invoked Narendra Modi to counter the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on violence in riot-hit Kishtwar.

"There was no allegation against any Home Minister there. On which Home Minister of Gujarat were the allegations levelled that he incited the violence. The allegations were leveled against his Home Minister following which the Central Government had to immediately change the police personnel and the Collector," said Jaitley.

"What was the reason that violence continued for seven hours at a stretch, the shops and vehicles continued to be burnt and they were not stooped? Moreover, the arrests took place earlier in the day," he added.

Jaitley, who made a statement in Parliament earlier in the day, compared the action against him to 'censorship' and said Kashmir is not the private property of one family.

Jaitley, who ardently objected to his detention in Jammu yesterday, further demanded a through investigation of the entire incident so that the guilty are brought to book.

"The whole incident requires to be investigated. This is not an inter-community disturbance. It is not a law and order situation. It is a matter of India's sovereignty. Those affected must be compensated and the guilty brought to book," said Jaitley.

"Why have there been no arrests so far?" he asked.

Taking potshots at the BJP, Abdullah earlier in the day defended his government's stand to impose curfew in communal violence-torn regions, saying that Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi was apathetic in taking action during the Gujarat 2002 riots.

"Oh that's right they can't because their star PM (Narendra Modi) hopeful waited days to call out the army and has yet to apologise... Hypocrites," Abdullah said on the micro-blogging website Twitter.

Curfew continued to be in force in Kishtwar town on Monday due to prevailing tension in the wake of last week's communal clashes.

Educational institutions have been shut across the state and mobile internet services blocked after clashes took a turn for the worse on Sunday.

Apart from Kishtwar, seven other districts are under curfew, including Jammu and Rajouri, following acts of arson and violence.

Army personnel continue to patrol key areas to maintain law and order.

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has ordered a judicial probe into the clashes that have claimed the lives of three persons so far.