Safeguarding people my concern: Omar

KL Report

Jammu

Reiterating his assertion about the need of clearing doubts in the minds of people and answering the question that Afzal Guru’s hanging was not selective and political, which he (CM) believes is not, Chief Minister, Omar Abdullah Monday said that the course of action regarding similar cases would determine it. “Let us wait and watch what action is being taken against others convicted in similar cases”, he added and lambasted PDP and separatists for doing politics on human blood.

“Yes, my government imposed restriction, people have to face difficulties, newspapers did not hit stalls but we saved the bloodshed and safeguarded the lives which was of prime concern and main objective before me after the hanging of Afzal Guru”, he said elaborating that on 8th February 2013 at about 8 p.m. he was informed by the Union Home Minister that the mercy petition moved by the family of Afzal Guru has been rejected by the President of India and the Union Government has decided to hang Guru on 9thFebruary 2013 morning.

“I was asked to make necessary preparations regarding controlling the situation in the State”, he said adding that the prime concern at that point in time and that hour of emergency before me was to save the lives of people and avoid any use of force”, he said maintaining that the imposition of curfew in the Valley was only resort in that situation. He said in 2006 the Supreme Court gave death sentence to Guru the then government imposed curfew for 21 days.

Castigating PDP for playing politics on blood and shedding crocodile tears over the hanging of Afzal Guru, the Chief Minister said that PDP only wants to utilize such incidents for their vested interests otherwise they do not have any concern either for the family of Afzal Guru or the people of the State. “You want to play dirty politics over blood and shed crocodile tears to astray people otherwise your whole record is before the public”, he said informing the House that other than the statement made by Mufti Sayeed regarding Afzal Guru some days back, Mufti Sayeed has never talked about this issue right from 2006 when the Supreme Court upheld the death sentence to Guru up to 2013. He said describing it nothing but politics and opportunism to utilize situations for party benefits.

“Everyone in the State and the Country is aware that I had told the Centre repeatedly that the death sentence of Afzal Guru should be converted into life term. I had also conveyed the law and order and security apprehensions of Afzal Guru hanging to the Centre time and again. I held the same position both when I was not in the government and as the Chief Minister of the State”, Omar told the House while widening up the debate in Legislative Assembly on the aftermath situation of Afzal Guru’s hanging.

“I was waiting that leader of single largest party in Legislative Assembly (Mehboob Mufti) during her speech on the subject would raise some pertinent points and identify the provisions of law, but she had only one objective in her mind to willy-nilly reel me in the incident of Afzal Guru’s hanging as if I had ordered his death sentence, rejected his mercy and moved the lever of hangman’s noose”, he said and castigated PDP for its dirty politics on human blood to gain benefits out of it.

“You have no concern either for Afzal Guru or his family, neither you were concerned about people facing difficulties under curfew, you only wanted the situation go out of control, precious human lives are lost and you had an open field to play politics”, he told the PDP leadership in the House. “I have deprived you of this chance. Safeguarding people was my only concern and I am highly thankful to the people that they understood your tricks and those of separatists and refused to fall in your political game”, he said adding that the controlling of situation and safeguarding the life and property could not have been possible without the active support of the people for which he congratulated them and express his gratitude.

“You want to play politics on blood but not me, you want to see people bleed but not me, you want to gain benefits out of bloodshed but not me and your trait is to utilize these situations for your interests but I am not of that grain, human life is above everything to me, I cannot tolerate that the blood of my people sheds, their safeguarding is my politics and I will continue to do the same”, he lamented and criticized both PDP and separatists for this kind of politics. “You have become the traders of death, and you want human blood to shed; you will not change your trait”, he told while addressing PDP.