Convener News Desk
Srinagar, Dec 17: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday strongly condemned the recent incident involving Bihar Chief Minister Nitesh Kumar, where a Muslim woman’s veil was pulled during a public function, calling the act humiliating and unacceptable.
Referring to the controversy, Omar Abdullah drew a parallel with an earlier incident involving former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti, stating that she had also pulled the veil of a woman voter, and described the Bihar episode as a continuation of such behaviour. However, he made it clear that the action by Nitesh Kumar deserved unequivocal condemnation.
“If he did not want to give the award to the lady, he should not have given it at all. But humiliating her in front of everyone was disgusting,” Omar Abdullah said, adding that the real face of Nitesh Kumar, who was earlier portrayed as a secular leader, has now started coming before the public.
Responding to a question on the financial situation of Jammu and Kashmir, the Chief Minister as per the news agency Kashmir News Trust said the Union Territory is not financially self-sufficient and remains heavily dependent on the Government of India. He said this dependence has increased significantly after Jammu and Kashmir was downgraded from a state to a Union Territory.
“As a state, we used to receive a share from central and state taxes, which we no longer get. We are now dependent on the Centre for a large part of our financial resources,” he said, asserting that his government remains vigilant in financial matters and has never misused public funds.
On tourism, Omar Abdullah reiterated his demand for reopening tourist destinations that are already established and functional. He questioned the emphasis on exploring new and hidden destinations when existing tourist spots remain shut.
The Chief Minister also flagged concerns over the power situation in Jammu and Kashmir, saying power generation is low and water levels are insufficient, making power cuts imminent. He said the Power Development Department has been directed to resort to minimum cuts and appealed to the public to use electrical appliances judiciously. [KNT]
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