Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday strongly condemned the blast near New Delhi’s Red Fort that killed at least 12 people, reiterating that the people of Jammu and Kashmir stand for peace and brotherhood.
While denouncing the alleged terror attack, Abdullah stressed that only a “few individuals” were responsible for disrupting peace in the region and that it was unfair to stereotype all Kashmiris as being linked to terrorism.
“It is highly condemnable. No religion can justify the killing of innocents. The investigation will continue, but we must remember — not every resident of Jammu and Kashmir is a terrorist or associated with terrorism. It is only a handful who have repeatedly disturbed peace here. When we paint every resident of J&K or every Kashmiri Muslim with the same brush, it becomes difficult to guide society on the right path,” Abdullah told reporters.
He added that those involved in the attack must be “severely punished,” while ensuring that no innocent person is wrongly implicated.
Questioning the “security lapse” that led to the incident, Abdullah noted that the involvement of educated professionals — including doctors — was not unprecedented. “We have seen professors and other educated people involved before. I’m shocked that despite their suspension from jobs, what kind of investigation was done afterward? Why was prosecution not pursued?” he asked, adding that the J&K government was assisting the Centre to maintain normalcy.
Several residents of Jammu and Kashmir have been arrested for their alleged links to a terror module suspected of planning multiple attacks.
Meanwhile, fresh CCTV footage has emerged showing prime accused Dr Umar Un Nabi entering Delhi through the Badarpur border in an i20 car. The footage captures him stopping at the toll plaza, taking out cash, and paying the toll collector.
Investigating agencies have also recovered diaries belonging to accused Dr Umar and Dr Muzammil, which reference dates from November 8 to 12, suggesting that planning for the attack was underway during that period. The diary reportedly lists the names of around 25 individuals, most of them from Jammu and Kashmir and Faridabad.
