Omar Abdullah talks to media during his visit to Budgam during fifth phase of Lok Sabha election on Monday May 20, 2024 (ETV Bharat) Budgam (Jammu and Kashmir): With the twin terror attacks-one of them targeting a tourist couple-in south Kashmir ahead of the fifth phase of voting for the Lok Sabha election 2024 clouding voting in Jammu and Kashmir, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah on Monday said that militants in the region were carrying out attacks at will.
Omar said that the ground situation in the region was far from normal and asked the Centre against linking the increasing tourist footfall in the valley to return of normalcy.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of his visit to Budgam during the fifth phase of voting, Omar urged the Union Territory administration and central government to stop "trumpeting peace," claiming that the law and order situation in Jammu and Kashmir was under control solely due to the public's restraint.
Omar was flanked by party leader and NC candidate for Srinagar Lok Sabha seat Agha Ruhullah Mehdi. "If law and order is under control in Jammu and Kashmir, it is only because of the people. Despite governmental repression and pressure, the people remain silent, endure, and do not take the law into their own hands," Omar said.
Referring to twin militant attacks in South Kashmir on Saturday evening ahead of the fifth phase of voting, Omar stated, "We have been saying that the situation is not normal. Militants have proved time and again that they carry the attacks whenever they want to. Such incidents make the government's claims appear false and hollow. Whenever the government links peace with tourism, these attacks occur which puts the lives of tourists at risk. I urge the government not to make claims of normalcy. He condemned the attacks on two tourists in Pahalgam and on a former BJP sarpanch in Shopian, which resulted in the sarpanch's death and injuries to the tourists.
He further said, "During my tenure, millions of tourists visited here, but we never linked tourism with peace. The central government's claims of 'peace in Jammu and Kashmir' should be avoided. When tourism is associated with peace, tourists bear the brunt."
Expressing satisfaction with the voting turnout in Budgam, Omar said, "The turnout at polling stations in Budgam and across the Baramulla constituency is encouraging. We want people to vote in large numbers."
It is worth noting that a tough contest is expected among National Conference's Omar Abdullah, People's Conference's Sajad Gani Lone, and independent candidate Engineer Rashid for the Baramulla parliamentary seat.
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