Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday slammed Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar for touching a Muslim woman’s hijab, calling it “unacceptable” and “a reflection of a regressive mindset.”
Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, CM Omar, per news agency Kashmir News Observer (KNO), said that such incidents have happened before as well, recalling a past act involving People’s Democratic Party chief Mehbooba Mufti.
“We have seen such incidents before. During my election, people may have forgotten how Mehbooba Mufti got a legitimate voter’s burqa removed inside a polling station. This is a continuation of the same mindset. What happened then was unfortunate, and this incident is equally shameful.”
He said that publicly humiliating a woman cannot be justified under any circumstance. “If the Chief Minister didn’t want to hand over the appointment letter himself, he could have stepped aside. But humiliating someone in public is completely wrong. Slowly, the reality of Nitish Kumar, who was once seen as a secular and sensible leader, is coming out,” he added.
Responding to Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s remark on fiscal discipline of states, CM Omar said Jammu and Kashmir continues to function under inherited financial constraints.
“We are running the system with whatever we have inherited. J&K is not financially self-reliant and remains dependent on the Government of India. Earlier, as a state, we used to get a share of central taxes, but after becoming a UT that has stopped, increasing pressure on our budget,” he said.
He said that his government has ensured financial responsibility. “Despite challenges, in the past 15-16 months there has been no financial negligence. If anyone can point to a single case of public money being misused, I’m ready to be held accountable,” CM Omar said—(KNO)
