JAMMU, JULY 15: Adv. Sunil Sethi, Chief Spokesperson, J&K BJP accompanied by Dr. Abhijeet Jasrotia, Spokesperson, and Dr. Pardeep Mahotra, Media Incharge, J&K BJP was addressing a press conference at party headquarters, Trikuta Nagar, Jammu.
Adv. Sunil Sethi strongly criticized Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s recent actions and statements, calling them a mockery of the law-and-order system. He said it was shocking to see the CM himself publicly violating laws by climbing over walls to pay tribute to rioters who were killed in the 1931 police firing incident while attacking a Central Jail where anti-national elements were imprisoned.
It is ironic that a Chief Minister who demands full statehood and seeks control over law and order is himself seen violating the law and then brazenly showcasing it in the media. Those who attack courts, storm jails, and fuel lawlessness are villains not heroes.
Sethi questioned whether, under Omar’s leadership, if such violent incidents occurred again, would he not allow the police to maintain order? He stated that glorifying such elements and giving them martyr status emboldens separatists and disturbs peace. He added that even in 1931, all peaceful means were first used to control the mob before the police were forced to open fire.
He condemned the CM for equating the 1931 incident with the Jallianwala Bagh massacre, an illogical and misleading comparison that insults the real martyrs of India’s freedom struggle. He further said that the CM gave tributes to these rioters on July 14, the next day after the 1931 incident, rioters targeted Kashmiri Hindus by burning properties and looting, a fact neither Omar Abdullah nor National Conference has ever acknowledged or apologized for.
Sethi accused National Conference of having a history of siding with traitors, recalling that even the Congress had once labelled Sheikh Abdullah a traitor. He warned that today, when Jammu & Kashmir is progressing toward peace and normalcy, the NC is trying to derail this development for political gains. There is an ongoing race between NC and PDP to see who can violate more laws and appease separatist and terrorist ideologies, he said and added that these activities will give boost to terrorism.
The BJP leader noted that the CM seeks tourists in Kashmir from various parts of the nation, but questioned how peace and tourism in the Valley could be promoted when the CM himself encourages lawlessness. He asserted that the Omar-led government has repeatedly failed in governance, be it in health, education, revenue, or mining and whenever questioned, they deflect with emotional slogans of statehood.
The J&K government should function in coordination with the Union government, but under Omar Abdullah’s leadership, the two have been projected as adversaries.
The people of Kashmir recognize this deliberate strategy aimed at misleading the public. The common Kashmiri aspires for peace and development, not political theatrics. The BJP urges Omar Abdullah to focus on fostering stability and progress instead of issuing provocative statements that only fuel unrest and darkness.
Sethi also condemned Omar Abdullah’s remark branding media as “cowardly” and “bought,” stating that such baseless accusations attack the independence and credibility of the press. He emphasized that the media in J&K has been performing its duty with courage and integrity by bringing the truth to the people.
Sethi reaffirmed BJP’s commitment to the unity and development of Jammu & Kashmir. “We do not differentiate between Jammu and Kashmir, or between Hindus and Muslims. Our goal is inclusive development,” he said. He added that Kashmir is moving forward with a nationalist spirit, and BJP will continue its mission to end separatist mindsets and integrate J&K fully with the rest of India.
Dr. Abhijeet Jasrotia added that the wall-jumping episode was nothing but a media stunt. He reminded the public of the 2010 unrest in which over 120 people died under Abdullah’s watch as head of the Unified Command.
