Remember the Gujarat riots, Omar Abdullah tells BJP

Hitting out at BJP leader Arun Jaitley for terming the Kishtwar violence "a threat to India's sovereignty", Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Monday called the BJP "hypocrites" over the party-led Gujarat government's response to the 2002 sectarian riots.

Taking to twitter, Abdullah asked: "Would Jaitley be so kind as to inform parliament whether the Gujarat home minister or MOS Home resigned or even offered to in 2002?"

He said that Kishtwar had seen three deaths - of one Hindu and two Muslims. "And we've a judicial inquiry with my minister resigning. Would the BJP care to recount the 2002 response."

"Oh that's right they can't because their star PM hopeful waited days to call out the army & has yet to apologise. Hypocrites."

Earlier, raising the Kishtwar violence in the Rajya Sabha, Jaitley, the leader of opposition, said: "It is not an inter-community disturbance. In inter-community disturbances flags of a neighbouring country are not flashed... This is an issue of threat to India's sovereignty."

"Things will go back to what is was in 1990 if the situation is not brought in control," Jaitley said, referring to the beginning of insurgency in the state and the targetting and exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley.

Union New and Renewable Energy Minister Farooq Abdullah and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister, intervening in the discussion, raised the issue of the Gujarat riots that saw over 1,000 people, mostly Muslims, killed. "When the riots occurred in Gujarat in 2002, the army was not allowed inside. No one from outside was allowed to enter Ahmedabad. Gujarat is not a property of Modi."

Jammu and Kashmir Minister of State for Home Sajjad Ahmad Kitchloo resigned Monday after coming under attack over the communal violence in Kishtwar.

Finance Minister P. Chidambaram, speaking in the Rajya Sabha, said the government would "not allow repetition of 1990. We will not allow forced migration, we will not allow forced resettlement, everybody will be protected in the area in which he or she lives."

Chidambaram's comments came as several members, including Jaitley expressed fears that the Kishtwar violence may lead to 1990-like situation.