NEW DELHI: Suspended IPS officer Basant Rath, dubbed the ‘Singham of Kashmir,’ has strongly criticized former J&K CM Omar Abdullah and Srinagar Mayor Junaid Mattu for their attempts to politicize the Yoga session held at a Kashmiri Islamic shrine, accusing them of deceiving the people of Kashmir over the years.
On Wednesday, the administration of Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha organized a Yoga session at the Charar-e-Sharief shrine in Budgam, Kashmir, to commemorate the International Day of Yoga.
Expressing his objection to the event, Srinagar Mayor Junaid Azim Mattu tweeted, “An absolutely hare-brained, inconsiderate idea to organize a demonstration at the shrine of Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani, Sheikh-Ul-Alam (RA). I’m all for Yoga, but this is immensely problematic. Places of religious importance should be treated with utmost sensitivity.”
An absolutely hare-brained, inconsiderate idea to organize a demonstration at the shrine of Sheikh Noor-ud-Din Noorani, Sheikh-Ul-Alam (RA).
I’m all for Yoga but this is immensely problematic. Places of religious importance should be treated with utmost sensitivity. pic.twitter.com/yzplwn82ok
— Junaid Azim Mattu (@Junaid_Mattu) June 21, 2023
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Former CM Omar Abdullah also took to Twitter to express his protest, tweeting, “The burial place of one of our most revered saints is used as a venue for a yoga day photo op!”
The burial place of one of our most revered saints is used as a venue for a yoga day photo op! pic.twitter.com/Wt7dkibvfu
— Omar Abdullah (@OmarAbdullah) June 21, 2023
In response, Basant Rath, an Odisha-born and now suspended Inspector General (IG), stated that Abdullah, the vice president of the J&K National Conference, contributed to the hardships faced by the common people in Kashmir.
Rath, who resigned from the elite service last year but is still awaiting acceptance, accused both leaders of rampant corruption and advised them to focus on serving the people on the ground instead of wasting time on Twitter to prove their true Muslim identity.
“I have 13 questions for Omar. BJP is in power and they organized Yoga (at the shrine). If you are so offended, please provide it in writing that your party will never form a coalition with BJP. I can provide it in writing that your hands are stained with the blood of innocent Kashmiri Muslims and Pandits,” he said.
Hi Omar, can I ask you thirteen questions relating to this tweet of yours? I promise I’ll keep your current journalist girlfriend out of this exchange. pic.twitter.com/QnnIuF2MI3
— Basant (@KangriCarrier) June 22, 2023
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The IPS officer, who intends to join the BJP, added, “During Omar’s tenure as CM, 180 children were killed within a year. Many people were unjustly imprisoned under the Public Safety Act (PSA), which was later overturned by the courts, indicating that they were fabricated. Will he answer these questions?”
Rath also questioned Omar Abdullah about his alleged interference in favoring a specific company for water supply at the Vaishno Devi temple. He emphasized that the actions of Kashmiri Muslim leaders and the Congress have contributed to the bloodshed in the region.
Rath’s suspension by the Ministry of Home Affairs in 2020 followed a heated verbal exchange with Director General of Police (DGP) Dilbag Singh. He earned the nickname ‘Singham’ in Kashmir for his distribution of books to students preparing for competitive exams and his assistance to the common people.
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