Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday criticized the Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) for what he said disowning political activist Ghulam Nabi Patel who was shot dead by unknown gunmen in Rajpora area of Pulwama.
Both the PDP and the Congress condemned the killing of Patel but stopping short of disowning him.
National Conference working president Omar Abdullah jumped into the fray, saying: “just call him NC worker so his death is not in vain”.
When the news of death of Patel spread in the afternoon, Jammu and Kashmir Police issued a statement, saying militants had attacked a “civilian vehicle”.
Later, chief minister Mehbooba Mufti condemned the killing of Patel. “Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti has condemned the killing of a local Congress activist of Pulwama, Ghulam Nabi Patel who was killed this afternoon at Rajpora chowk by un known assailants,” read a statement issued by the government.
Moments later, Congress party also issued a statement, saying they condemn the killing of a “PDP activist”.
“…strongly condemned the killing of PDP activist, saying the killings, in any form, are highly condemnable and must be condemned by every section of the people. The spokesperson offered deepest condolences to bereaved family of Ghulam Nabi Patel and sympathized with them,” Congress said in a statement.
Amid the confusion, Omar Abdullah took to micro blogging website, Twitter. “How tragic that Patel Sahib, a political worker assassinated by militants in Kashmir is being disowned by both the PDP & Congress. If neither party is willing to own him as one of their own let’s just call him a NC worker so his death is not in vain,” Abdullah wrote on Twitter.