Conspiracy being hatched to weaken Kashmir-Delhi relationship: Omar

Srinagar, Mar 7: National Conference vice president, Omar Abdullah, Thursday said that a “conspiracy was being hatched” to weaken the relationship between Kashmir and New Delhi.
“When Indians don’t accept Kashmiris then how can they expect that Kashmiris will say they are an integral part of India? You want land of Kashmir but not its people,” Omar said in his address at party’s headquarters here, where former PDP leader Dr Mohammad Shafi Wani joined the National Conference.
“We welcomed when Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke against attacks on Kashmiris yet THEY continue unabated. He has failed to execute his words or nobody listens to him. It seems his words are just assurances as a Jumla,” the former chief minister said.
“It seems a conspiracy is being hatched to weaken the relationship between Kashmir and New Delhi rather than strengthening.”
Omar was referring to thrashing of two Kashmiri vendors in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday, a video of which had gone viral and triggered a lot of social media ire.
Modi last month condemned the attacks on Kashmiri students. Even Supreme Court also directed states to ensure safety of Kashmiris.
Omar said they did not question the instrument of accession. “We always said whatever we will achieve that is under the constitution. What constitution and laws you are talking about when Kashmiris are being beaten up under the national flag. Modi and his colleagues have to respond,” the former chief minister, said.
He said that Kashmiris were being harassed and threatened across the state.
“Yesterday two Kashmiri dry fruit vendors were thrashed. They had posted nothing provocative. We won’t tolerate that innocent people are harassed or beaten up. These BJD, VHP groups want to send a message that Kashmir is part of India not Kashmiris,” he said.
Omar said his grandfather Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah had predicted that there would be a political party in every street to divide Kashmiris.
“Why is third front being formed only in Kashmir not in Ladakh and Jammu? Even young people float their own political parties. It seems it is being done deliberately,” Omar said, apparently referring to the young bureaucrat turned politician Shah Faesal, who has announced floating a new party.
The National Conference leader said that although the threat of war between India and Pakistan is evading but people in Kashmir are worried about the future.
“Nobody knows what will happen tomorrow. People are asked not to visit Kashmir. People associated with the tourism have been rendered jobless. At least 800 trucks laden with fruits are not allowed to export outside Kashmir,” he said.
Omar claimed that ban on Jamaat-e-Islami would further deteriorate the situation in the state. “Arrests are being made under a conspiracy. It won’t help Kashmir. There was ban on JeI in 1990 but that did not help in improving the situation, which later was revoked by Farooq Abdullah in 1996. We might have differences with JeI but the ban won’t benefit the state,” he said.