NC rejects Baghel’s false accusations on Omar Abdullah’s release

Says will initiate appropriate legal response

Srinagar, Jul 20:(PTK)The Party has taken note of and expresses strong objection to the latest interview given by CM of Chattisgarh Mr. Bhupesh Baghel in The Hindu newspaper on 20.07.2020 wherein Mr. Baghel has maliciously suggested that the release of our Vice President Mr. Omar Abdullah from preventive detention was somehow related to Mr. Sachin Pilot or the present political situation unraveling in Rajasthan.

The Party unequivocally rejects such malicious, false and politically motivated statements that are used for convenient political posturing.

This statement apart from being false and scurrilous is defamatory to the reputation of Mr. Omar Abdullah as well. It is within the province of public knowledge that the release of Mr. Omar Abdullah happened after judicial intervention was sought from the Supreme Court and the illegal order of detention of Mr. Abdullah was challenged. Given the indefensible nature of the illegal detention order the same was revoked by the Government during the course of the proceedings before the Supreme Court.

We have taken cognizance of the libelous statement of Mr. Baghel and we are presently in the process of consulting our lawyers and shall be initiating appropriate legal action against the aforesaid statement. A detailed response shall follow thereafter.

Ferrying non local laborers to JK without COVID19 test will jeopardize the wellbeing of locals and theirs as well: Kamal

Srinagar, 20 July: Jammu and Kashmir National Conference on Monday expressed concern over the ferrying of non local laborers from outside to Kashmir without mandatory COVID19 testing and subsequent quarantine.

In a statement, Party’s Additional General Secretary Dr Sheikh Mustafa Kamal said the ruling regime in J&K is busy in the realization of misplaced priorities at a time when its prime priority should have been to fight the crises induced by COVID-19.

“Far from congregating the efforts to combat the viral sprawl, the present ruling regime in yet another expression of brazenly dimwittedness is considering to ferry laborers from other parts of country to JK. We have always welcomed them with open arms, but this time the situation is completely different. Allowing such a massive interstate movement at this juncture will jeopardize the wellbeing of the laborers as well as the locals, given the fact that the local administration has already failed to combat COVID-19 mortality and infectivity. Such a move goes against the established COVID-19 protocol and required health advisories of various national agencies,” he said.

He further added, “At a time when locals are being told to keep inside, what good will it do to ferry laborers from outside. As such every viable activity has come to a grinding halt in this part of the world. Government has failed in its response to rise up to the exigencies of the COVID-19 induced lockdowns. We have people hankering for basic medical facilities and other essentials. How will the administration cope up with the requirements of laborers, their ration, medical checkup, testing, when it has miserably failed to ensure it to the locals? The whole idea is fraught with absurdity, it can morph into a dire situation causing harm to them as well as to the locals.”(PTK)