National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Saturday called for a thorough and independent investigation into the Nowgam police station blast, saying that "mistakes" in the initial handling of the explosive may have contributed to the tragedy that claimed nine lives and damaged multiple residential structures.
He said that those with proper technical expertise should have been consulted before the material was taken up for examination.“The way this material was dealt with was a mistake. "Experts should have been approached first.... Because that didn’t happen, nine lives were lost and nearby homes suffered major damage,” he said.Abdullah also pointed to the wider atmosphere of suspicion surrounding Kashmiris after the November 10 blast in Delhi, saying residents of the region continue to face unwarranted scrutiny.
“People are still blaming Kashmiris for what happened in Delhi. When will we be accepted as Indians? Those responsible for radicalising these young doctors must be questioned,” he added. He said the reported involvement of individuals with medical backgrounds highlights the need for a deeper probe into the circumstances leading to the Nowgam incident.
Speaking to a news agency in Srinagar, the former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister criticised the manner in which the explosive material was dealt with by local authorities, stressing that those with proper expertise should have been consulted beforehand."This is our mistake, those who understand this explosive better, we should have talked to them first about how to deal with it instead of trying to handle it ourselves, you saw the result, nine people lost their lives. So much damage was caused to the houses there," he said.
Abdullah also linked the fallout of the Nowgam explosion to the atmosphere of suspicion that Kashmiri residents are currently facing across the country following the recent blast in Delhi."We haven't yet come out of the crisis in Delhi where fingers are being pointed at every Kashmiri. When will that day come when they will accept that we are Indians and we are not responsible for this, ask those who are responsible why these doctors had to take this path? What was the reason?" he remarked.
Calling for accountability, the JKNC chief argued that the circumstances leading to the blast, including the alleged involvement of individuals with medical backgrounds, demand a deeper probe. "There is a need for a thorough investigation and study of this," he said, urging authorities to establish responsibility and prevent similar incidents.The Nowgam blast, which occurred during the handling of an explosive device inside the police station premises, is being probed by the Jammu and Kashmir Police.
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