PDP protest in Srinagar over Farooq Abdullah's remarks

The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Tuesday organised a protest march here against controversial remarks by Union Minister Farooq Abdullah.

Dozens of PDP activists led by Tariq Hamid Karra, party leader and candidate for the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections from Srinagar constituency, took out the march in Regal Chowk area of Srinagar.

The protestors burnt the effigy of ruling National Conference patron Farooq Abdullah as part of the protest.

Karra told reporters that the National Conference had been the fountainhead of corruption in the state and it was shameless that its patron Abdullah said that Kashmiris are big thieves.

Abdullah reportedly said at a function in New Delhi, "Kashmiris are not only chors, they are Maha chors (Kashmiris are not just thieves, they are the biggest thieves)."

Farooq Abdullah Monday asserted that he had been misquoted on the subject.

"I had said it is unfortunate that we buy power for nearly two to three thousand crores, but we are not able to get that money back because there is a lot of pilferage of power.

"Many of our people are 'stealing' power. It happens all over the country but the biggest transmission and distribution losses are in Jammu and Kashmir. A newspaper tried to create misunderstanding in the minds of the people by publishing this.

"I am sad that I was misquoted by the media. I had spoken about power theft in the state", Abdullah told reporters in response to criticism by the PDP.