Pahalgam Attack: Jammu and Kashmir Assembly today held a one-day special session to discuss the Pahalgam terror attack in which 26 people were killed in the Baisaran meadows. Speaking in the assembly during the session, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that while the National Conference government would continue to demand statehood for the Union Territory, but it won’t do so at this moment when the nation is grieving the loss of 26 lives.
“The security of the Jammu and Kashmir is not in the hands of the state government currently. But I will not use this moment to demand statehood. After Pahalgam, with what face can I ask for statehood for Jammu and Kashmir? Meri kya itni sasti siyasat hai? Does the lives of those 26 people not matter to me?…We have talked about statehood in the past and will do so in the future too, but it will be shameful on my part if I go and tell the central government that 26 people have died, now give me statehood…” said Abdullah.
During the sepcial assembly session, the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly passed the resolution condemning the Pahalgam Terrorist Attack.
Speaking in the assembly, an emotional Abdullah said that he did not know how he should apologise to the families of the victims of the attack. “I did not know how to apologise to the families of the deceased… As the host, it was my duty to ensure the tourists returned safely. I couldn’t do it. I do not have the words to seek an apology… What should I say to those children who lost their father and to a wife who lost her husband, who got married a few days back? They asked what was our fault; we just came for the holidays… Whoever did this says they did it for us, but I want to ask: Did we approve it? Did we tell them to do this? We are not in support of this attack,” he said.
Abdullah said that the hope had come from the vocal protests against this incident by the people of Kashmir. “In every bad situation, we should look for a ray of hope, but it’s very difficult to find such a light in these times… But for the first time in 26 years, I have seen the people of Jammu and Kashmir coming out condemning the attack, saying that it was not done in my name… Violence and terrorism can only end when we are all united… We should not take any such step which pushes people away… no remark, no action of any kind,” he said.
The Pahalgam attack took place on April 22 when a group of terrorists killed 26 people from a close distance after asking about their religion and forcing them to recite Kalma, an Islamic verse.
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