The opposition members led by former chief minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday boycotted the chief minister Mehbooba Mufti’s reply to the governor’s address in the legislative assembly.
Omar said that this was done because the “government has failed to answer the civilian killings in Kashmir.”
“We came to know in newspapers that chief minister sahiba is pained by the civilian killing (in Kulgam). But she didn’t speak a single word about it in the House,” Omar said, responding to parliamentary affairs minister Abdur Rehman Veeri’s statement earlier that the government has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the killing of 22-year-old civilian Khalid Ahmad Dar in Kulgam on Tuesday.
Veeri had come up with the statement after the opposition members jumped into the Well in protest against civilian killings in Kashmir.
“We are not satisfied with the reply of Veeri sahib. It would have been better if CM sahiba, who is also the chairperson of the unified high command and holding the portfolio of home minister, would have expressed her grief in this House,” Omar said.
In the meantime, the chief minister appeared in the House, but Omar continued with his speech.
“She will come here to read her long speech, but we are not ready to listen to her speech today. I will not remain here,” he said and left the House.
He was followed by other opposition members from National Conference and Congress.
Later, talking to media-persons outside the assembly hall, Omar launched a scathing attack on the government and said that it has “no moral authority to remain in chair if it thinks that civilian killings are not an issue.”
“People are getting killed and if this government thinks that civilian killings are not an issue, then it has no moral authority to rule,” he said.
Accusing the government of killing civilians—referring to Khudwani killing—Omar said that the slain youth had no gun in his hand.
“Yesterday, this person who was killed had not picked up any gun. He had bullet on his throat. Even a ruling minister acknowledged it. Are bullets fired on the ground or air? We wanted to ask the chief minister,” he said.
Omar said that during his tenure, such killings also happened and he knew how these incidents pain.
“We sought answer from the government. We, instead of reading it in newspapers, wanted the chief minister to tell the same thing in the assembly. But she didn’t come. She came to the House when I took up the issue, but it was late for her as we had already decided to boycott her speech,” he said.
Omar also mocked at the government for claiming that situation in J&K was under control.
CPI (M) leader and MLA Kulgam MY Tarigami and MLA Khansahab Hakim Muhammad Yaseen also didn’t attend the House during the chief minister’s response to the governor’s address.