Following the Delhi blast that killed 14 people, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah expressed concern over driving without security in the national capital, saying it feels like a crime to drive a vehicle" with a Jammu and Kashmir number plate and that he is afraid of being stopped and questioned.
Speaking to reporters, Abdullah said, "An impression is being created that we are all responsible for what happened in Delhi. It feels like a crime to drive a vehicle with a J&K registration number. When I don’t take security personnel with me in Delhi now while driving, I have to think twice, wondering if I might be stopped and questioned," he told reporters.
Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has raised concerns about the treatment of Kashmiris in the aftermath of the November 10 explosion, which has intensified scrutiny of people from the Valley.
"An impression is being created that we are all responsible for what happened in Delhi. It feels like a crime to drive a vehicle with a J&K registration number. When I don’t take security personnel with me in Delhi now while driving, I have to think twice, wondering if I might be stopped and questioned," Abdullah said, highlighting the heightened atmosphere of suspicion in and around the national capital.
His remarks followed the identification of Dr Umar Nabi, a 28-year-old assistant professor from Haryana's Al-Falah University and originally from Pulwama in Jammu and Kashmir, as the suspected attacker in the Delhi incident. Two others, Dr Muzzamil Shakeel and Dr Shaheen Shahid, were arrested with arms and explosives, also having ties to Jammu and Kashmir.
Authorities reported that hours before the blast, eight people were arrested and 2,900 kilograms of explosives were seized in what police described as a "white-collar terror module," with operations spanning Kashmir, Haryana, and Uttar Pradesh and links to Jaish-e-Mohammed and Ansar Ghazwat-ul-Hind.
Abdullah criticised the security situation in Jammu and Kashmir, stating that the abrogation of Article 370 has not brought an end to the violence. He called for accountability among those responsible for maintaining security in the region.
"If there is no blast in Delhi, then it is happening here, and innocent people are losing their lives. We want these things to stop. Over the last 30-35 years, J&K has seen a lot of bloodshed. We were told in 2019 that all this would stop. But, it has not," He said, addressing mediapersons in Kulgam district.
Since the blast, police have checked more than 500 people from Jammu and Kashmir in Faridabad alone as part of heightened security measures.