CM Omar Abdullah defends NC Spokesperson’s “Yazaar” comment

STC NEWS DESK
SRINAGAR, SEPTEMBER 10 (STC): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today defended the recent controversial statement of National Conference Chief Spokesperson Tanveer Sadiq, saying that the poverty and hardships faced by the Kashmiri people in the past have been mentioned by many historians in their writings and this is not Tanveer Sadiq’s personal opinion.
The Chief Minister said, “Whatever Tanveer said is historically correct. He does not need to apologize for his statement or give any explanation.”
Omar Abdullah said that the well-known historians, including Walter Lawrence, have written in detail about the conditions of Jammu and Kashmir, especially the poverty of the Kashmiri people and the socio-economic system of that period. According to them, at that time the people were facing difficulties under the system of landlords, landlords, chakdars and zaildars.
He said that there was a time when the common people did not have the resources to meet even the basic needs.
“In the past, Kashmiris were so poor that they had to come to the city from the mosque wearing pajamas. This is not Tanveer Sadiq’s own thinking but a historical fact,” the Chief Minister said. He further stated that Tanveer Sadiq’s aim was probably to highlight that the Kashmiri people have come out of these difficult conditions and have made significant progress in the last several decades. He said that today Kashmiris are educating their children and doctors, engineers and experts in various fields are being produced in the society.
Omar Abdullah also criticized the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) for politicizing the issue. He alleged that both the parties are playing the same “match” on the issue and have a common agenda in raising this issue.
Meanwhile, regarding the objection raised by the Congress to the singing of the full verses of Vande Mataram, Omar Abdullah said that the government has to follow the existing law and legal obligations. He said, “We have to abide by the law. If the Congress comes to power, it can change or repeal the law, but as long as the law exists, we have to follow it. The national anthem should be played at any function where two governors, a lieutenant governor and the acting chief justice of the high court are present.”
According to him, under the existing legal provisions, in official functions where the national anthem is played, the rules regarding the full lyrics of Vande Mataram must also be followed. The Chief Minister said that this rule is not limited to Jammu and Kashmir but is applicable throughout the country, including the states ruled by the Congress.
He said that if a person does not stand up as per the legal requirements or violates the prescribed procedure, legal action can be taken against him.
The Chief Minister asked the Congress what it expects from the government, while it is the government’s responsibility to follow the existing legal requirements.
(Straight Talk Communications)