Jammu, Jul 4 (KNS): Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) president Tariq Hameed Karra on Saturday condemned the alleged manhandling of Congress MLA Nizamuddin Bhat in Bandipora and urged Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to order an impartial inquiry and take strict action against those responsible.

In a statement, Karra described the alleged assault on Bhat by workers of the Jammu and Kashmir National Conference, reportedly led by Jalal Akbar Lone, the younger brother of Sonawari MLA Hilal Akbar Lone, as a serious departure from democratic norms and contrary to the spirit of alliance dharma.

He said political differences were a natural part of democracy but could never justify intimidation or physical confrontation.

Karra said the alleged involvement of workers belonging to a constituent of the ruling alliance made the incident more unfortunate and raised concerns about mutual respect among alliance partners.

He also criticised a press conference by National Conference workers defending the incident, saying any attempt to justify such conduct only aggravated the situation and sent a disturbing message about democratic functioning.Click Here To Follow Our WhatsApp Channel

The JKPCC chief said he had written to Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, seeking his personal intervention and calling for an impartial examination of the incident along with strict action against those responsible.

In his letter, Karra said elected representatives in the Union Territory were already functioning under a challenging dual-control administrative system and stressed the need for democratic forces to work together to safeguard the dignity of elected institutions.

He expressed hope that the chief minister's intervention would help restore confidence among alliance partners and uphold alliance dharma, warning that any recurrence of such incidents or attempts to justify them would weaken trust and goodwill within the coalition.(KNS).