Srinagar, Mar 23 (KNS): Former Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah on Tuesday appealed people to follow “precautionary guidelines” advised by the government amid COVID-19 scare. He urged authorities to release all political leaders irrespective of political ideologies lodged in and outside jails and restore high-speed mobile data connectivity in the state so that people could be made aware of the precautions to be taken to avoid Corona Virus epidemic.
According to Kashmir News Service (KNS), Omar told reporters outside his Gupkar residence that he would speak on the decisions taken on August 5 last year but for now the immediate priority is to combat COVID-19 epidemic.
“We are being told that the battle against this virus will be slightly easier if we have better communications,” Omar said. “But the crisis is that we do not have 3G and 4G so I request the Government of India that please permit us to use this.”
“I had thought a lot over what I will be telling you once I am free but we have already landed in a situation in which we are actually violating what we are supposed to do,” Omar Abdullah told reporters. “Right now our priority is to fight the deadly virus, ensure that we, our families, friends and neighbors survive the onslaught of the virus and then we will talk about things.”
He appealed people to take precautions to avoid spreading of this disease. “The people of the state are currently combating the battle of life and death”, Omar Abdullah said.
Spending 232 days of detention at Hari Niwas, Omar on Tuesday finally left Hari Nawas which was turned sub-jail by authorities after New Delhi scrapped Article 370 last year where scores of political leaders were detained.
It is pertinent to mention that his father Dr Farooq Abdullah, a sitting parliamentarian, was released on March 14 after more than seven months of incarceration. (KNS)