Srinagar, Aug 21 (KNO): Asking politicians to leave religious issues for clerics and priests, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday asked leaders in Jammu and Kashmir to refrain from commenting on religious matters and focus on issues concerning common people.
CM Omar, as per the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), while responding to recent remarks of the Leader of Opposition (LoP) and BJP senior leader Sunil Sharma cautioned politicians against playing with public sentiments. “People should not play with people’s emotions,” he said.
Referring to Congress leader and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi staging a sit-in to get a FIR registered in use of pellet guns during protests in New Delhi, CM Omar said, “ He (Rahul) is doing what is expected of an Opposition leader by questioning the government and seeking to make it answerable.”
“He is the Leader of the Opposition. He is not the leader of the religion. Leave religious issues to the religious leaders. Keep your issues to the politicians. I would like him to continue doing that, because this is the job of the Opposition,” he added.
The Chief Minister said an Opposition leader should not be criticised for questioning the government. “If the Opposition leader does not oppose, then what is the use of it?” he said.
“I have not heard you ask the Opposition leader of Jammu and Kashmir why you ask questions again and again in vain. When he does it, you enjoy it. When Rahul Gandhi does it, you say, why is he doing it?” CM Omar said.
CAN’T TELL PEOPLE NOT TO BUILD HOUSES
Asked about the shrinking green spaces in Kashmir, Omar said the government could not stop people from building houses but stressed the need to minimise the land used for construction. “We cannot tell people not to build houses. But we tell people to use as little land as possible,” he said.
CM Omar said land, once lost to construction, could not be restored and therefore development has to be balanced with environmental protection.
“Once the land is gone, we cannot bring it back. We can generate more electricity, we can make water, we can do many things. But once the land is gone, we cannot bring it back. So we need balanced development,” he said.
CM Omar said people should be able to construct homes while making every possible effort to preserve green spaces.
WASTE TO WONDER–FLOWER GARDEN INITIATIVE
Speaking about the newly inaugurated ‘Waste to Wonder–Flower Garden’, CM Omar said the initiative was intended not only as an attraction but also to spread awareness about recycling and reuse.
He said the garden should encourage people to rethink their everyday use of plastic, particularly plastic bags.
“If there is a possibility of recycling and reuse, then we should take the message from this garden that we should reuse the bags as much as possible,” he said.
Omar questioned the practice of taking a new plastic bag every time people visit a shop when they could carry reusable bags from home.
“Is it a compulsion that every time we go to the shop, we take a new plastic bag from the shopkeeper? If we already know that we are going to the shop to buy things, then we should take a plastic bag from home so that we do not have to take the plastic bag from the shop and throw it in the drain,” he said.
“This is the purpose behind this garden. I hope that people will come and enjoy this garden,” the Chief Minister added.
CM Omar said the concept could also have tourism potential and asked officials of the Floriculture Department to explore whether a similar waste-themed garden could be recreated elsewhere.
“I would like our Department of Floriculture officers to go to Chandigarh and see if we can recreate the waste garden there,” he said.
“I believe that this will also be a great attraction for tourism,” he added.
Asked whether the new attractions could help attract more tourists to Kashmir, CM Omar referred to the development of the Chrysanthemum Garden, saying it had evolved considerably since its initial phase.
“This year will be its second season. I hope that we will use the lessons learned from last year and will do the best in this garden,” he said.
Recalling the garden’s early days, CM Omar said it had initially been small but expanded gradually with the addition of new features.
“I remember that it was a very small garden in the first year. It took so many years to reach here. Every year something or the other was added to it,” he said.
“Water channels were added. New levels were created. In the same way, we will add” to the Chrysanthemum Garden, he said.
‘VERY SAD SITUATION’
Asked about the situation in Kishtwar following the death of a schoolgirl, CM Omar described the matter as a “very sad situation” and said he hoped the administration and law-and-order authorities would complete their investigation at the earliest.
“I know that this is a very sad situation. We hope that the administration, especially the law-and-order authorities, will take action as soon as possible,” he said.
“They should complete their investigation as soon as possible,” the Chief Minister added—(KNO)