Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today strongly condemned Israel’s recent attack on Iran, terming it “unjustified” and called on global powers to avoid double standards when dealing with international conflicts.
Speaking to reporters ahead of his monthly public outreach programme at the Raabita Office, the Chief Minister said, “If Russia attacking Ukraine is considered wrong, then Israel waging war on Iran is equally unjustifiable. There was no just cause for Israel to carry out what it called a ‘pre-emptive strike.’”
He added that it would be deeply unfortunate if world powers remained silent in the face of this aggression, drawing comparisons with the international community’s unified condemnation of Russia.
“Israel did what Russia did to Ukraine. But while there was global outrage over Russia’s actions, the response to Israel’s strike on Iran has been conspicuously muted—whether from Europe or the US,” he said.
Omar warned that the conflict could have serious implications for India.
“It will immediately affect us—fuel prices will rise, the stock market will be hit, international flights could be disrupted, and most importantly, public sentiment will be impacted,” he added.
The CM expressed concern for the safety of Kashmiri students currently studying in Iran. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he appealed to the Ministry of External Affairs:
“Requesting @MEAIndia to urgently ensure the safety and well-being of Kashmiri students currently stuck in Iran. Every step must be taken to safeguard our students.”
On Ahmedabad Air Crash: Omar Expresses Condolences
Commenting on the tragic Ahmedabad Dreamliner plane crash, Omar termed the incident “deeply unfortunate.”
“Only one person survived. This model had no such crash history earlier. We hope the cause of the crash is swiftly determined so that similar tragedies can be avoided in future,” he said.
Public Outreach Programme: Voices from Across J&K Heard
As part of his monthly public outreach initiative, the Chief Minister met with numerous delegations and individuals from across Jammu and Kashmir at his Raabita Office.
Key meetings included:
- Director IIT Jammu, Prof. Manoj S. Gaur, who sought support for the institute’s Venture Fund to foster socio-economic development.
- Kashmiri Language Union, which appealed for institutional support to promote and preserve the Kashmiri language.
- Revenue Officers’ Delegation, which submitted a memorandum seeking the reorganization of the Revenue Department and improved service conditions for officers.
- Industrial Estate Pampore Delegation, which raised concerns about infrastructure and development challenges.
- J&K OBC Resident Welfare Forum, which voiced demands related to the rights and upliftment of the OBC community.
- Bharat CSR Network, which proposed tourism promotion partnerships in the region.
- Animal Rescue Kashmir, which requested support for animal welfare initiatives.
- SRO-120 Appointees and Rehabilitation Assistance Scheme Candidates, who sought resolution of pending compassionate appointment cases.
- Voice of Weekly Newspapers, which flagged issues faced by regional weekly newspaper publishers.
The CM gave a patient and empathetic hearing to all representations and assured timely action on all genuine demands.
Advisor to the CM Nasir Aslam Wani and other senior officials were also present during the outreach programme.
