Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today expressed deep concern on behalf of the House over the recent civilian killings in the Billawar area of Kathua.

 While condemning the tragic loss of innocent lives, the Chief Minister stated, “As the leader of the House, I want to formally express our collective concern over the killings in Billawar and extend our heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families. We mourn the loss of all three innocent civilians who were killed in this incident, as well as the two others who lost their lives in a similar incident before this.”

 Calling for a thorough investigation, he emphasized the need to ascertain “how and why the incident occurred and who was responsible for it.”

He also stressed the importance of taking appropriate action regarding the attack on MLA Bani.

 Questioning the circumstances surrounding the visit of the Leader of Opposition (LoP) while his Deputy Chief Minister was not allowed to visit the affected area, Omar Abdullah remarked, “If I am correct, the Leader of Opposition visited the area. It appears that a political narrative is being attached to the situation. Yesterday, I spoke to the Deputy Chief Minister, who was advised against visiting the area due to the prevailing situation. I told him that as responsible individuals, we must ensure that our presence does not escalate tensions. If the situation is volatile, it is prudent for both of us to refrain from visiting.”

 The Chief Minister further stated that a senior police officer of Kathua district had informed Deputy Chief Minister Surinder Kumar Choudhary that the situation remained tense and that he could visit the area in 2-3 days once normalcy was restored.

 “What is beyond my understanding is that if the situation was indeed so volatile that the Deputy Chief Minister was advised against visiting, how was the LoP allowed to do so? We demand answers from those who allowed the LoP’s visit while preventing the Deputy CM from going there,” he asserted.