Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday stated that eradicating militancy without the active involvement of local people is not possible.
Speaking to reporters, he emphasised that while militancy and law and order do not fall strictly under the domain of the elected government, they are doing everything within their capacity to assist in maintaining peace and stability in the region.
He reiterated that without the support and participation of the local population, efforts to uproot militancy would remain ineffective.
Addressing the ongoing encounter in Kathua, where security forces suspect that five to six foreign militants are hiding in a forest nursery, the Chief Minister clarified that, as per the latest reports available to him, no direct contact had been established with the militants.
He stated that search and cordon operations were launched after suspicious movements were detected in the area, but further developments were awaited.
When questioned about the Waqf Bill introduced by the Union government, Omar Abdullah expressed concerns over what he described as selective targeting of a particular religious community. He asserted that religious institutions exist across all faiths, and each carries out charitable activities in some form.
However, he argued that the Muslim community's charitable institutions, specifically those functioning under Waqf, were being singled out through legislative actions. He maintained that this selective approach raised concerns about fairness and the intent behind the new regulations.
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