Yogesh
Jammu, Mar 3: Condemning the killing of Iran Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei and attack on Iran, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday appealed to the mourners to maintain calm and not to take law into their hands.
Talking to reporters here, CM Omar said, “I understand the emotions and anger, but it is important to exercise restraint. I do not want the police or central forces to misuse force, nor do I want anyone to be injured or lose their life.”
He called on religious leaders to ensure peaceful expression of grief.
Referring to restrictions imposed at mourning gatherings at Lal Chowk, the Chief Minister said, “If there is permission for celebration, there should also be permission for mourning. However there are reports about miscreants trying to foment trouble. There were reports of violence, including an alleged attempt to assault a police DySP. My earnest appeal to all is maintain calm and not to allow the situation to deteriorate.”
CM Omar said the government would try to secure the release of detained persons at the earliest so they could express their grief peacefully.
Condemning the attack on Iran, the Chief Minister said no international law permits the use of external force to bomb a country or impose regime change. “If such actions are justified, it sets a dangerous precedent for the world,” he said. “Just as people in India, the US or Israel choose their leaders, the people of Iran have the right to decide their own government. Any change in Iran must come from within. If the people are unhappy, only they have the right to decide how they want to change their government,” he said.
Omar also said the J&K government is in close contact with the Ministry of External Affairs regarding students and residents from the Union Territory in Iran. Most have been moved to safer locations, though some final-year students are reluctant to leave hospitals where they are working. “I urge them to follow the embassy’s advice. If they are asked to move to safer areas or leave Iran, they should comply,” he said.
On regional tensions, the Chief Minister said war benefits no one. He described the attack on Iran as wrong and said retaliatory strikes in the region were also unacceptable. “War is not the solution; instead of ending, it is spreading,” he said.
