Omer Abdullah said, “This move to control and the atmosphere of intolerance does not bode well for this country.”
Srinagar: Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and Jammu and Kashmir National Conference (JKNC) vice-president Omer Abdullah on Thursday said that J&K is passing through a difficult phase while reacting to a ban on loudspeakers at mosques. He also trained his guns at the Centre and said only Muslims are being targeted in India for political gains and creating hate against the religion.
Talking to the media he said, “The security situation is a cause of concern. There is no area in Kashmir that is free from militancy. There is very little economic activity, barring tourism. Jammu and Kashmir has high levels of unemployment.”
He added, “Religious freedom is one of the hallmarks of a democracy. India is a large democracy but a democracy cannot only be in words and it must be in deeds also. This move to control and the atmosphere of intolerance does not bode well for this country.”
Reacting to the ban on loudspeakers, Abdullah said, “We have been told not to use loudspeakers in the mosques, not to sell halal meat, not to wear hijabs and the list goes on. When Muslims are not objecting to other religions and their lifestyles, why are only Muslims being targeted in the country?”
The former chief minister added, “It seems that we are deliberately being irritated. I wonder why power remains on during the rest of the hours during day and night but not at the time of sehri and iftar. You wake up to have sehri, there is no electricity and the same is the case when you have iftar. There is no electricity during Taraweeh prayers and when prayers are over, the electricity is restored. All this seems to be a deliberate attempt to disturb the people of Kashmir.”
