Srinagar: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday said the elected government in the Union territory has no role in banning books under the present administrative set up.
Replying to a question from media persons on alleged banning of books and removal of publications from libraries in Jammu and Kashmir, Abdullah said the move raises the wider question of whether this is the way forward in a democracy.
“I have my own views on whether books should be banned or not. But unfortunately, in the current system, the elected government doesn’t get to decide these things. Therefore, we just have to wait for that situation to change, and then we will take a fresh look at what has happened,” the chief minister said.
Responding to BJP’s remarks that the British used Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah as a conduit against Maharaja Hari Singh, Abdullah said it is ironic that those who took no part in the freedom struggle are lecturing those who did.
“The role of the RSS and the BJP’s predecessors during the freedom struggle is well known. Who tendered apologies, who did what — everyone knows that history. The role that Sher-e-Kashmir played here cannot be forgotten. The sacrifices made by the National Conference during the period are also public knowledge,” he said.
“It has become a habit of the BJP to attempt to distort history,” he added, asserting, “They tried the same here. It doesn’t matter; they can keep trying.”
Leader of opposition in J&K Assembly Sunil Sharma earlier said Sheikh Abdullah was part of a conspiracy hatched by the British against Maharaja Hari Singh.
Speaking in Jammu, he claimed Abdullah was working at the behest of the British when he led the 1931 revolt against the Maharaja.
