Basira Wani
Srinagar, Nov 17
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday called for clear accountability in the Nowgam police station blast, saying the incident raised serious questions about how a large quantity of explosives entered and remained inside a police facility without detection.
After visiting the injured at Cygnus Ujala Hospital, Abdullah said it was “deeply disturbing” that ordinary civilians — including a tailor and a photographer — had suffered grievous injuries in a place where they should have been safe. “This should not have happened. People deserve answers on how and why such explosives were brought and stored here,” he told reporters.
He confirmed that police, forensic experts and the civil administration had already launched an extensive investigation. “We will know under what circumstances it was brought, where it was kept, and how it remained unnoticed.”
Abdullah also lauded the hospital staff for their swift response, noting they rushed ambulances even before receiving official communication. “Their team reached the spot first and rescued the injured. Four patients are still in the ICU, and we hope for their recovery.”
He said compensation had already been released from the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund, with a separate case being processed to cover structural damage to nearby houses. “Since the blast occurred on police premises, I expect the Home Department — particularly funds available with the LG — to support the affected households.”
Amid rising concerns of profiling, Abdullah said he raised the issue directly with the Union Home Minister, Home Secretary, Governors and Chief Ministers during the North Zone meeting on Sunday. “I urged them not to look at every Jammu and Kashmir resident, especially every Kashmiri Muslim, with suspicion. Punish the guilty, but don’t harass innocent people who have always rejected violence.”
On the demand for a government job for the family of the tailor killed in the blast, Abdullah said the government would process it under the existing compassionate appointment scheme. “As soon as the case comes to us, we will approve it.”
The Chief Minister reiterated his condolences and said the administration would ensure that responsibility for the lapses that led to the explosion is fixed.
