Srinagar: The political controversy surrounding Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s remarks on liquor shops in Kashmir intensified further on Monday after Iltija Mufti launched a sharp attack on the National Conference leader, accusing him of making an “expected U-turn” on the issue and ignoring the religious sensitivities of the majority community in Jammu and Kashmir.
In a strongly worded statement posted on social media, Iltija Mufti questioned the logic behind Omar Abdullah’s remarks defending the continuation of liquor trade in Kashmir and his argument that people belonging to religions permitting alcohol consumption should not face restrictions.
“JK CM’s expected U-turn on the refusal to prohibit liquor shops lacks logic. He claims it’s wrong to impose a ban on Hindus consuming alcohol since their religion doesn’t forbid it. If this is the case how have Hindu majority states like Gujarat & Bihar banned alcohol successfully without a whimper?” Iltija Mufti wrote.
She further said that while Jammu and Kashmir takes pride in its secular credentials, it was “deeply unfortunate and insensitive” for the Chief Minister to dismiss what she described as the religious sensitivities of the majority population with indifference.
“We are proud of J&K’s secular credentials but deeply unfortunate & insensitive for its Chief Minister to dismiss the religious sensibilities of the majority with such indifference,” she said.
The Chief Minister admitted that his earlier remarks were made in haste due to time constraints and without detailed explanation. He maintained that his government had not opened any new liquor outlets and did not intend to expand the trade.
“Our religion prohibits it. We don’t want youth to fall prey to it,” Omar Abdullah said this morning while accusing opposition parties of twisting his statement. [KNT]
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