Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah has regretted the recent statements made by his uncle and ruling National Conference (NC) chief spokesperson Sheikh Mustafa Kamaal purporting that Army or those supporting its stance on the question of revoking contentious Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act from the areas in the state deemed peaceful could be behind the October 25 series of blasts in Srinagar and elsewhere in the Valley.
“The statement against the Army by my uncle Mustafa Kamal put me in a terrible position. I do regret these statements,” he told NDTV in an interview here on Wednesday.
Mr Kamaal, who is also the additional secretary general of the NC, had questioned the timing of twin grenade attacks on the security forces in Srinagar and southern Shopian and a shooting incident in neighbouring Anantnag in which four policemen were injured saying these could be aimed at incapacitating the Omar Abdullah government’s resolve to curtail the AFSPA. “You see the moment we have talked about the revocation of AFSPA, all this is happening. Why didn’t it happen till yesterday?” he had asked.
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Cong asks NC to restrain spokesman
Age CORRESPONDENT
SRINAGAR, Nov. 2
As National Conference leader and chief spokesperson Sheikh Mustafa Kamaal has continued with his tirade against the Congress, the latter on Wednesday, while taking a serious note of his utterances, asked its coalition partner in Jammu and Kashmir to restrain him.
Terming his as “unwarranted accusations,” senior vice-president of the PCC and former MP Dharam Pal Sharma said, “He (Mr Kamaal) has once again ... made unwarranted accusations against Congress party leaders on the question of repeal of AFSPA. We condemn these remarks and ask National Conference leadership to take serious notice of his false accusations against Congress party. Mr Kamal seems to be oblivious and ignorant of the fact that Congress happens to be an equal partner.”