Omar condemns Pulwama attacks, says decision to boycott polls should not be based on fear

Zee Media Bureau

Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday condemned the attacks in Pulwama district on Monday evening that claimed the lives of three persons, including a sarpanch and his son, in two separate attacks in Tral.

The killings came three days before polling for south Kashmir's Anantnag constituency which the district is part of.

Abdullah also said the decision to boycott polls should be based on conviction not fear.

On microblogging website Twitter, Abdullah tweeted:

I unequivocally condemn the attacks in Pulwama that left three political works dead. By all means call for a boycott of the polls. 1/3

— Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) April 22, 2014

The decision to boycott should be based on conviction not fear. We don't terrorise people to vote so why instil fear to enforce boycott 2/3

— Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) April 22, 2014

The use of violence is an acceptance of the weakness of your argument because you know that in the absence of fear people WILL vote 3/3

— Omar Abdullah (@abdullah_omar) April 22, 2014

A senior police officer said guerrillas opened fire at Ghulam Nabi Mir, the sarpanch of Batgund village near Tral town, 45 km from here, near his home, critically injuring him and his son identified as Firdaus Ahmad.

"Mir and Firdaus were taken to hospital where both succumbed to their injuries," the officer said.

Earlier, militants also fired at Anwar Sheikh, headman of Amler village, near his home. "Sheikh succumbed to injuries while being taken to hospital," the officer said.

Last week, guerrillas had killed a sarpanch in a village adjoining the highway town of Awantipore in the same district, leading to panic among the local elected village heads, some of whom have announced their resignations from their posts.