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| Omar skips mourning of neighbourhood boatman, felicitates cyclist in far off Beerwah | | |  Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, June 14: Former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has come under criticism for skipping to mourn the demise of a brave-heart boatman in his neighbourhood here, whereas he spend the day to felicitate a cyclist in his Beerwah constituency, some 30 miles away from his Srinagar home.
Monday remained a day of contrast reactions for the former Chief Minister and his successor, Mehbooba Mufti.
On June 13, when the body of the deceased boatman, Ghulam Muhammad Guroo who died last week was fished out, Mehbooba rushed to his Raj Bagh residence to condole the demise. But Omar stayed away, busy in celebrations.
His party handout said "Working President and MLA Beerwah Omar Abdullah felicitated first State, National and International level cycling athlete Akbar Khan by donating a professional Merida Reacto 5000 bicycle worth 2.8 lakhs to the athlete."
"This is the first time that an athlete in the State has been provided with a professional aide of this quality to help him compete in national and international events. While felicitating Akbar Khan, Omar Abdullah hoped that he would continue to bring laurels to the State and inspire more youngsters to take up athletic sports professionally," the party handout said.
But barely a mile away from Omar's Sonawar residence, enroute his Beerwah constituency, it was mourning going on in the house of poor boatman who died while rescuing tourists from a capsized boat in Jhelum on June 8.
While Guroo's body was fished out Monday, Mehbooba Mufti was among the mourners. She said the boatman who drowned while saving a tourist family is the real symbol and hero of the eclectic culture known as 'Kashmiriyat'.
"I have assured the family of all possible help from the state government. He is our real hero and we will not fail in our duty towards his family," she said while handing over ex gratia cheque of Rs one lakh to the bereaved family.
Guroo, 55, was rowing a boat carrying a tourist family on Jhelum river when it hit a pillar and capsized. He saved the tourist family but was himself carried away by the powerful current of the river and died.
The Raj Bagh residents took serious note of Omar skipping to visit the bereaved. "Is he only concerned about his voters that he missed to visit the bereaved only because he had to celebrate gifting of cycle to an athlete in his Beerwah constituency?" asked the locals said adding till two years ago he used to be among the first to visit Raj Bagh for any celebrations or mourning. "But having lost elections, he seems to have ended humanitarian ties and only believes in counting votes," said Wasim Ahmed a local.
But a National Conference leader downplayed the matter pleading that Omar condoled the demise on Twitter. |
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