Srinagar, Mar 12 : Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday stated that the Centre had not shared any intelli-gence with his government that could justify the ban on Mirwaiz Umar Farooq’s Awami Action Committee (AAC), and reiterated his opposition to such decisions.
“I do not know the basis of the ban. This is not under the purview of the elected government in J&K, and the intelligence that led to this decision has not been shared with us,” Abdullah told reporters after the conclusion of the fifth edition of the Khelo India Winter Games in Gulmarg.
On principle, Omar stressed his opposition to decisions like this, emphasizing that his government has never supported bans without clear justification.
“Since the Mirwaiz was released from house arrest, I have not seen any objectionable statements from him. We do not have any information about the reasons behind the ban. We will assess the situation and decide on our course of action in the future,” he added.
When asked whether the ban was linked to the Mirwaiz’s criticism of the fashion show held in Gulmarg during Ramzan, Omar dismissed the speculation, saying, “You cannot say that.”
The fashion show in Gulmarg, held during the fasting month of Ramzan, sparked widespread criticism. Mirwaiz Umar Farooq had condemned it, stating that promoting obscenity in the name of tourism would not be tolerated.
Addressing a question about BJP’s charge that the hotel hosting the fashion show was owned by his relatives, Omar confirmed, “Yes, the hotel belongs to one of my relatives, and I am not deny-ing that.”
He further explained, “There are two hotels in Gulmarg that belong to my relatives—Nedous and Highland Park. But, I will not say anything more than what I have already stated in the Assem-bly.”
When asked whether any action would be taken regarding the fashion show, Omar replied, “If something has been done against the law, then action will take place.” He emphasized that tour-ism promotion must respect cultural sensitivities, adding that authorities would investigate whether any legal guidelines were violated during the event.
