Srinagar, Mar 4:
Member of Parliament from Srinagar, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, on Tuesday raised sharp questions over Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s appeal for peace and communal harmony following a meeting with civil society representatives.
In a post on social media, Mehdi questioned the timing and intent of the appeal, asking when and how communal harmony had been disturbed by mourners to warrant such a call.
“When and how was the communal harmony disturbed by the mourners which forced the assembly of this ‘group’ to call for communal harmony? What message is he trying to send? Whose point is he asserting and advocating?” Mehdi wrote.
The MP also questioned whether the call for harmony was indirectly supporting what he described as “unjustifiable actions” by authorities. He said the primary demand from the government should have been the immediate release of detained youth and the unconditional withdrawal of FIRs registered against them.
According to Mehdi, the issue of FIRs and detentions was mentioned only after a journalist raised a question during the interaction. He argued that the Chief Minister should have raised the demand for their release in his opening remarks.
“The only call that he and this ‘group’ should have made was to ask for the immediate release of our youth and unconditional withdrawal of FIRs against them,” he said.
The remarks came after Omar Abdullah, speaking to the media following a meeting with civil society groups, appealed for peace and communal harmony in the Valley.
Mehdi further questioned the representation of elected leaders, stating that the public expected their representatives to stand firmly for them.
“Who does he represent? I thought we elected a representative for us who would stand for us against all odds,” he added.
The comments have triggered debate on social media, with political observers viewing them as a rare public disagreement between two prominent leaders in Jammu and Kashmir’s political landscape.
