Omar Abdullah says mirwaiz attack incident is reaction to Hurriyat politics

The incident involving manhandling of Hurriyat leaders at a seminar is a reaction to their politics and policies and "is bound to happen", Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah said today, but maintained that he does not condone such actions.

"It is a reaction to their politics and policies. It is bound to happen," Omar told reporters after inauguration of the 8th University-Industry Council symposium at general Zorawar Singh Auditorium complex, University of Jammu.

He was asked about the assault on moderate Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq in Chandigarh today after earlier incidents of heckling of separatist leader Syed Ali Shah Geelani in Delhi and another Hurriyat leader Shabir Shah in Jammu.

"I have no major take on this. I do not condone it," he said, adding that "I believe that we are proud of our democracy which given people liberty to express their ideology.

"We always believe that it is matter of ideas and ideology that we have always given liberty to people to express their ideology. That is my personal opinion," he said.

In reply to the questions about his message to the Hurriyat leaders in J&K, he said, "I am not going to use media to send a message to members of Hurriyat Conference. As and when I have say anything to them I will say to them".