Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference (JKPC) president and Handwara MLA Sajad Lone has strongly criticized Chief Minister Omar Abdullah over the security-related halt of the train in Katra, questioning its necessity and accusing him of aligning with Delhi’s policies.
Lone, in a sharp statement, expressed his concerns over what he described as the justification of every decision made under the pretext of security. “Please give us all a break. Stop justifying everything and anything that the BJP does. By justifying security excuses, one can virtually justify everything,” he said, emphasizing that similar arguments have been used by past and present governments.
Targeting Omar Abdullah personally, Lone reminded him of his past political stances as an NDA Union Minister. “Wish our people had remembered your utterances as NDA Union Minister.
I, per se, am not surprised at your right-wing views on security issues,” he remarked, further alleging that Omar was acting as “Delhi’s man in Kashmir” despite not being officially admitted into the NDA.
He also accused Omar Abdullah of being complicit in what he claimed were harsh measures against the people of Kashmir. “I have said it umpteen times and will repeat it. The day you join them, people will forget the past five years. You will create new records in torture,” Lone asserted.
Questioning the logic behind the security stop at Katra, he argued that it diminished the psychological relevance of the train for Kashmir. “The change of train in Katra erodes the train of all its psychological relevance. And I would love to know what they will do security-related in Katra that they can’t do in Srinagar,” he added. (KNS)
