Srinagar, May 14 (KNS): Senior Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) leader Nizamuddin Bhat has hailed the people for upholding unity and peace amid a highly provocative and ignominious Sumbal incident.

In a statement issued to KNS, Bhat said the biggest challenge faced by our society is that of forced segregation and disharmony by enemies of our ethos. Attempts are being made to make this segregation a divisive phenomenon and incidents like Sumbal could be exploited to meet the design.

He said it is heartening to note that people see through the game plan and desist from falling prey even as exploiters remain hell bent to use miseries and provocations to their advantage.

Bhat said the awareness of people and their commitment to harmony and brotherhood has been a deterrent against divisions in society and should remain so to override tragedies and exploitation.

PDP leader has said that Governor's administration owes it to people to make thorough inquiry into the Sumbal incident with directions to investigating agency to identify also the elements who made abortive bid to trigger sectarian conflict out of this inflammatory and barbaric act.

Bhat appealed people also to make self- introspection about the level of decline in our moral base and our response to the sell- inflicting erosions. (KNS)