Omar Abdullah backs Mohan Bhagwat's remarks on Gen Z, seeks end to action against NEET protesters
Said the protests over the NEET examination had helped ensure accountability
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday welcomed Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) chief Mohan Bhagwat’s remarks that the grievances of Gen Z are genuine and that protesting does not make them anti-national.
Speaking to reporters, Omar said the students who protested in New Delhi over the alleged irregularities in the NEET examination had criticised the government, not the nation.
“They criticised the government but said nothing against the country. It is good that Mohan Bhagwat has drawn a distinction between opposing the government and acting against the country,” Omar said.
Referring to Bhagwat’s remarks, the Chief Minister said it was encouraging that such a distinction had been acknowledged.
“Opposing the government is not the same as opposing the country. In fact, criticism of the government often benefits the nation because it helps correct mistakes wherever they occur,” he said.
Omar said the protests over the NEET examination had helped ensure accountability and expressed hope that the examination process would improve in the future. “The protests over the NEET examination brought accountability, and perhaps the examination process will become better in future,” he said.
He also urged the authorities to stop taking action against students who participated in the agitation, saying protesting against the government should not be equated with being anti-national.
Expressing concern over reports of action against the protesters, Omar said students were allegedly being manhandled, booked in criminal cases and harassed on social media, while in some cases their relatives had reportedly been summoned by the police.
“I believe this entire course of action should stop,” he said.
Addressing a gathering of around 2,000 Gen Z and Gen Alpha members at the India’s International Movement to Unite Nations (IIMUN) 15th anniversary event in Mumbai on Thursday, Bhagwat had said, “If Gen Z members are agitating, they are not anti-national; they are our people. It is our next generation. You need dialogue and rapport with them.”
Responding to a question on the FIR against PDP leader Iltija Mufti, Omar alleged that it was a “fixed match” between the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and “agencies”.
“The party is a creation of agencies; it did not evolve on its own. Whenever its image weakens, efforts are made to restore its credibility,” he alleged.
Referring to the controversy triggered by the PDP’s recent “banta hai” remarks, Omar claimed that agencies were now trying to revive the party’s standing after its credibility had taken a hit.
‘Pak should stop interfering in J&K’s internal matters’
Jammu: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday dismissed Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s criticism of the abrogation of Article 370 on August 5, 2019, saying Pakistan should stop interfering in India’s internal affairs and instead focus on alleged human rights violations in the territory under its control.
Omar was responding to statements of Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar marking August 5 as “Youm-e-Istehsal” or the day of exploitation.
Lashing at Shariff for describing the August 5 decisions as a human rights violation, Abdullah said the issue is India’s internal matter and has nothing to do with Pakistan.
“We have our own dispute over the August 5 decision, but that is our internal matter. Pakistan has nothing to do with it. They should stop interfering in these matters because the more they interfere, the weaker our case becomes,” he said.
