Politics
Shujaat’s death now a tool for goons to threaten other journalists, says Omar
In response to BJP Lal Singh’s warning to Kashmiri journalists for facing another ‘Shujaat-like incident’ , Vice-President of National Conference Party Omar Abdullah said in a tweet that “it seems Shujaat’s death is now a tool for goons to use to threaten other journalists.”
Dear journalists, your colleagues in Kashmir just got threatened by a @BJP4India MLA. It seems Shujaat’s death is now a tool for goons to use to threaten other journalists. https://t.co/LCLeWnHAK7
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) June 23, 2018
The JK National Conference twitter handle also condemned the statement, saying:
National Conference strongly condemns the outrageous remarks and threatening of Kashmiri journalists by BJP Leader and MLA Chaudhry Lal Singh. This merits immediate cognisance by the @JmuKmrPolice. We hope the law isn’t subverted – Party Spokesperson.
— JKNC (@JKNC_) June 23, 2018
Earlier, While addressing a presser in Jammu, in which he once again demanded a CBI probe into the matter, Singh said, “They (Kashmir’s journalists) have created wrong atmosphere about the whole case. Now, I would like to ask them to draw a line of journalism and think about how to live.”
In a veiled threat, while referring to the brutal assassination of the Rising Kashmir editor Shujaat Bukhari, Singh added, “Are they waiting for similar incident that has happened with Basharat (apparently referring to Shujaat)?”
Bukhari was assassinated on June 14 by unidentified gunmen outside his office in Srinagar, a day before Eid and few minutes before Iftaar (breaking of Fast during Ramzan). Bukhari succumbed to his injuries and was declared brought dead at the hospital.
UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein during his opening statement of the 38th session of the Human Rights Council on Monday said that he was deeply saddened by the assassination of veteran journalist Shujaat Bukhari.
While calling him a human rights defender, Hussein said, “I am tremendously saddened by the assassination last week of Shujaat Bukhari, a courageous human rights defender actively working for peace, including through his participation in the Track Two diplomacy seeking to help both India and Pakistan put an end to the violence.”
The Committee to Protect Journalists while strongly condemned the killing of the editor said that Indian authorities must bring killers of Bukhari to justice.
Singh further added, “It’s better to control yourself before situation get worse. They (journalists) must draw a line so that brotherhood in the state remains intact and we also join the journey of development.”
Singh is not new to controversies. In 2016, he threatened a delegation of Gujjar farmers by reminding them of the massacre of Muslims in Jammu region following Partition in 1947.
Earlier, his brother Rajinder Singh abused former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti during a rally in Hiranagar. He was later arrested from Rajasthan by Kathua police.
