Kishtwar violence: 'Omar Abdullah should not indulge in blame game', says BJP

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Thursday hit back at Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for accusing the saffron outfit of playing politics over the Kishtwar violence, and said that he should not indulge in a blame game.

BJP spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said Abdullah cannot escape from his responsibility.

"He cannot use the BJP's name to hide his government's failures. It has now become a fashion in the country that whenever a government achieves something it pats its back and when it is a loser it blames the BJP," he added.

Hussain further said the BJP has always raised its voice whenever there is violence or clashes in any part of the country.

"Omar Abdullah should not use such language on Independence Day. You are addressing the nation as Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and you are saying that if the BJP speaks on Kishtwar clashes then why does it not speak at other places; we are saying on Bettiah, Bagaha and Nawada also. We are raising our voice where violence is taking place in the country," said Hussain.

"The BJP is against clashes. Wherever clashes take place and the government fails to curb it, it is the Bharatiya Janata Party's right to raise its voice as the principal opposition," he added.

Abdullah earlier today condemned the clashes in Kishtwar district, and said that the incident was blown out of proportion.

In his speech on the occasion of India's 67th Independence Day in Srinagar, Abdullah said whatever happened in Kishtwar should not have taken place.

"I regret that it took place under my chief ministership. But I also realize that it is for the first time in the last four years that communal clashes between Hindus and Muslims took place in this region," said Abdullah.

"We have formed a judicial commission. The judicial commission will put forward its findings and we will present the facts before the people of the state," he added.

Abdullah pointed out that that incidents like that of Kishtwar take place all over the country, but they don't get so much of attention.

"In 2012, there have been thirty-four deaths due to communal violence in UP, thirteen in Maharashtra, fifteen in Madhya Pradesh, three in Karnataka, six in Rajasthan and five in Gujarat. In 2013 till March, there have been eight deaths due to communal violence in Maharashtra, one in Madhya Pradesh, two in Rajasthan, two in Gujarat," he said.

Abdullah further said the year 2013 has been good for this region.

"Definitely, we had to face some challenges, but we fought those challenges with courage and bravery," he added.

Curfew was today lifted from seven districts of Jammu region, but continued for the seventh consecutive day in Kishtwar district.

Three persons were killed and a total of 68 shops, seven hotels and 35 vehicles damaged during the communal violence in Kishtwar.