Omar Abdullah condemns tourist's killing, calls stone-pelters 'goons'

SRINAGAR: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah has condemned the killing of a tourist hailing from Tamil Nadu during stone pelting incident in Narbal area on Srinagar-Gulmarg road here.

Omar also lashed out at the state government saying the PDP-BJP ruling alliance was a failure.

"We've killed a tourist by throwing stones at the vehicle he was travelling in. Let's try and wrap our heads around the fact that we stoned a tourist, a guest, to death while we glorify these stone-pelters & their methods," Omar said in a series of tweets.

A 22-year-old tourist, R Thirumani, from Chennai was critically injured in a stone pelting incident at Narbal yesterday morning. He was shifted to a hospital here for treatment but succumbed to injuries, police said.

"This young man from Chennai died in my constituency & while I don't support these goons, their methods or their ideology, I'm deeply, deeply sorry that this happened at all & that too in an area I've been proud to represent since 2014," Omar said.

The National Conference working president also wished speedy recovery to a girl from Handwara who was also injured due to stone pelting.

"I'm also pained to know that among the injured from the stone pelting in Narbal is a young woman from Handwara in North Kashmir. I pray she & the others injured make a quick recovery," he said.

Omar lashed out at the state government saying the PDP-BJP ruling alliance was a failure.

"The J&K Govt has failed, the CM (Mehbooba Mufti) has failed, the BJP-PDP alliance has failed. How much blood will have to be shed in Kashmir before the Hon PM (Narendra Modi) realises the gravity of the situation in J&K? When will enough finally be enough?" he asked.