Srinagar, Apr 02: Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has expressed alarm over more and more local youths joining militancy and blamed Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti for the new “trend”.
Omar said Mufti had “accepted her irrelevance in Kashmir” by staying in Delhi even a day after numerous deaths took place in the Valley.
“It’s amazing how @MehboobaMufti has accepted her irrelevance in Kashmir today. More than 24 hours after 3 fierce encounters & numerous deaths she still hasn’t arrived back in Srinagar,” Omar said, in a series of tweets.
He was reacting to yesterday’s three encounters in Shopian and Anantnag districts of south Kashmir in which 13 militants, four civilians, and three army-men were killed.
“In fact Gov(ernor) Vohra arrived in Srinagar first thing in the morning while @MehboobaMufti was happily ensconced in her plush Delhi bungalow,” Omar said.
In an earlier tweet, he hit out at Mufti for staying in Delhi while the encounters were raging in the Valley.
“So while all this was unfolding the chief minister didn’t see fit to cut short her Delhi trip. What was so important to have kept her there?” he asked.
The National Conference leader said he was alarmed by the rising number of local youths joining militant ranks, and blamed Mehbooba for the “trend”.
“Of the 12 confirmed dead, I understand 11 are local Kashmiris & (and) the identity of the 12th is being ascertained, not one so far is a foreign terrorist. Is no one in a position of power in Delhi alarmed by this because I certainly am!” Omar said.
“@MehboobaMufti’s biggest & least talked about failure has been the massive jump in the numbers of young Kashmiri men joining the ranks of militant organisations,” he added.
Omar said most of the militants killed yesterday had joined the militancy after the killing of Hizbul Mujahideen commander Burhan Wani two years ago.
“Creations of the post-Burhan Wani rage, most of the militants killed yesterday were new recruits,” he said.
