Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday condemned the recent Pahalgam attack and said that for the first time in 26 years he was seeing people in the region united against the violence and stating “not in my name.”
“I have never seen people come out to protest against an attack like this… people said not in my name,” Abdullah said while addressing a special session at the Jammu and Kashmir legislative assembly today.
Abdullah further said he did not know how he would apologise to the families of the victims of the attack, as he was unable to send them home safely.
“This incident affected the entire country. We have seen many such attacks in the past… An attack of such a large scale has been carried out after 21 years in Baisaran. I did not know how to apologise to the families of the deceased… Being the host, it was my duty to send the tourists back safely. I couldn’t do it. I do not have the words to seek an apology… What should I say to those children who lost their father and to a wife who lost her husband, who got married a few days back? They asked what was our fault; we just came for the holidays,” the chief minister said.
Strongly denouncing the attack, Abdullah questioned those responsible, saying, “Whoever did this says they did it for us, but I want to ask: Did we approve it? Did we tell them to do this? We are totally not with this attack.”
He further emphasised the need for unity to end violence and terrorism. “In every bad situation, we should look for a ray of hope, but it’s very difficult to find such a light in these times… But for the first time in 26 years, I have seen the people of Jammu and Kashmir coming out condemning the attack, saying that it was not done in my name… Violence and terrorism can only end when we are all united… We should not take any such step which pushes people away… no remark, no action of any kind.”
While acknowledging the role of security measures, Abdullah stated that militancy could only be truly defeated when people unite against it. “We can control militancy through guns, but it will not end it… It will end when people come together, and it seems that people are coming together against it.”
He further affirmed that he won’t be demanding statehood for Jammu and Kashmir in the name of the 26 people who have died in a terror attack, noting that his politics was not “so cheap.”
He, however, stated that he would still demand statehood for the region, but not at this very moment when the country still mourns the loss of the 26 people.
“I will not use this moment to demand statehood. After Pahalgam, with what face can I ask for statehood for Jammu and Kashmir? Meri kya itni sasti siyasat hai? We have talked about statehood in the past and will do so in the future too, but it will be shameful on my part if I go and tell the central government that 26 people have died; now give me statehood,” Abdullah said.
Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly passed a resolution condemning the Pahalgam Terrorist Attack, following which the Assembly proceedings were adjourned sine die.
Jammu and Kashmir Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Choudhary moved a resolution to condemn the Pahalgam terror attack and endorsed the diplomatic measures announced by the Union Government after the Cabinet Committee on Security meeting.
The resolution emphasised the attack as an assault on the values of “Kashmiriyat”, the Constitution, and the spirit of unity, peace, and harmony in Jammu and Kashmir and expressed full solidarity with the victims and their families, offering condolences to those affected.
The attack in Pahalgam is one of the deadliest attacks in the Valley since the 2019 Pulwama strike, in which 40 CRPF jawans were killed. Following the Pahalgam terror attack, India has taken strong measures against Pakistan for its support of cross-border terrorism. (ANI)
