Jammu and Kashmir parties link Narendra Modi speech to Assam massacre

SRINAGAR: The massacre of Muslims in Assam last week has become a talking point in Jammu and Kashmir. Politicians still on poll campaign have linked the killings with BJP PM candidate recent discourse on ‘illegal Muslim immigrants’ from Bangladesh.

“In Assam, 30 Muslims were murdered because BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi made a speech there and tried to incite people against Muslims. This truth cannot be denied,” Chief Minister Omar Abdullah told a well-attended public meeting in Tangmarg town. “Three days earlier, he branded all Muslims as Bangladeshis and 30 Muslims have been killed.”

Abdullah Sr said in Bandipore on Monday, “Modi's speeches are full of venom and threats to minorities nowadays. His speeches in West Bengal and Assam have communalised the atmosphere and just day before yesterday we heard of the terrible, tragic ethnic carnage of Muslims in Assam.”

National Conference’s main challenger PDP’s Mufti Sayeed too seemed to be on the same length on the issue: “It’s extremely painful to see such barbaric acts of targeted violence being implemented in the twenty-first century democratic India. Continuation of such atrocities against minorities, lack of accountability and stereotyping of Muslims is fueling a sense of insecurity among the community and breeding perilous alienation,” he said in border Lolab.

Though Kashmiri separatists have been ignoring issues involving Muslims in other parts of India, Mirwaiz Umer Farooq condemned the massacre and sought security for Muslims. “The massacre of Muslim belies the claim of so called apostles of democracy in India that minorities were safe in the secular state,” Mirwaiz said.