Don't repeat what I did during 2010 unrest, says Omar Abdullah to Centre

SRINAGAR: The Union government should make itself seen and heard in ongoing protests against the gang-rape of 23-year-old girl, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said today.

The government should engage itself with the youngsters, he said.

Taking a leaf out from the lessons learnt from the 2010 summer unrest in Kashmir Valley, the chief minister said, "I made mistake of not being seen or heard in the summer of 2010 when the trouble first started. I wish my mistake had been learnt from."

However, the chief minister indicated that the opportunity of engaging with the protesters could have been lost.

"But I dare say the moment when these youngsters could have been engaged was before the rowdy element hijacked the protests and teargas flew," Omar wrote on microblogging site Twitter.com.