Picture : @CM_JnK/X
J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has called for the strictest punishment against those responsible for the deadly Delhi blast, but cautioned against branding people of Jammu and Kashmir as sympathisers of terrorism.
Talking to reporters, Abdullah said the actions of a “handful of people” should not define the vast majority of peace-loving residents of J&K.
“Every resident of Jammu and Kashmir is not a terrorist. Not every Kashmiri is on the side of terrorists. It is only a handful of people who have tried to disturb the peace and harmony here,” the chief minister said.
The blast, triggered by an explosives-laden car driven by Dr Umar Nabi of south Kashmir’s Pulwama, has exposed an expanding terror network spanning Kashmir, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh.
“These few people are responsible for this attack. Those who are guilty should be given the strictest punishment, and innocent people should not get caught in it,” Abdullah asserted, making it clear that justice must not turn into collective punishment.
He urged the country to distinguish between perpetrators and ordinary citizens.
“When we begin to look at every Kashmiri Muslim through the same lens and try to give the impression that every Kashmiri Muslim is a terrorist, it becomes very difficult to keep things on the right track,” he said.
