Omar Abdullah has question PM Modi's silence on the issue (File)
Invoking the BJP's 2014 election slogan "sabka saath, sabka vikas (support of all, development for all)", former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Friday took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, saying his allies, even the Shiv Sena, have condemned the attacks on Kashmiris, but not the Prime Minister. The National Conference leader has questioned PM Modi's silence on attacks on Kashmiris living in other parts of the country, following the Pulwama terror attack in which 40 CRPF soldiers were killed.
"The Akali Dal has spoken, the Shiv Sena surprised us all by publicly rebuking people threatening Kashmiris in Maharashtra, Nitish Kumar ji has opposed talk of revoking Art370. These are all major allies of PM Modi. What has Modi ji said? Nothing! So much for "sub ka saath..." Mr Abdullah said.
Two Kashmiri students were attacked by a group of political activists in Maharashtra's Yavatmal on Wednesday night, becoming the latest incident of the kind to occur after the Pulwama terror attack. A video clip of the assault was widely shared on the social media.
The eight accused were affiliated to the Yuva Sena, the youth wing of the Uddhav Thackeray-led Shiv Sena. Police said they have been arrested on the basis of a First Information Report (FIR) filed at a local station. The Yuva Sena has also taken action against them.
The Shiv Sena, known for its strong nationalist views, slammed the attack. Its youth wing president, Aditya Thackeray said the activists involved were sacked by the party.
According to the FIR, the two Kashmiri students of the Dahyabhai Patel Sharirik Shikshan Mahavidyalaya were returning to their rented accommodation from a market in the city's Chintamani Nagar area when they were accosted by the accused between 10-11 pm on Wednesday. They were assaulted and forced to chant Vande Mataram and Bharat Mata Ki Jai to "prove their patriotism", it added.
The CRPF personnel were killed after a suicide bomber affiliated to the Jaish-e-Mohammed terror group rammed a vehicle filled with explosives into a CRPF convoy in Pulwama district on February 14.
The attack caused a wave of anger against Pakistan. Many Kashmiri students studying in institutions across the country also complained of harassment, and sources claim that a Kashmiri professor was even forced to resign his position at a Jalandhar university over a fake Facebook post.
The central government had issued an advisory to the states to ensure safety of people from the state.