NC MLA alleges harassment by Jammu & Kashmir police, Omar Abdullah demands action

A National Conference MLA on Tuesday alleged he was "harassed" by Jammu and Kashmir police prompting party chief Omar Abdullah to condemn the incident, and demanded strict action against the police officials.

The incident happened on Monday in Jammu when Abdul Majid Larmi's vehicle was stopped after the police received a PCR call about a person holding an AK-47 assault rifle in a vehicle who turned out to be the personal security officer of the MLA.

"Upon reaching Jammu at 7.30 PM, I was stopped by a police team at Bakshi Nagar with a Sub-Inspector inquiring about our identities", Larmi claimed, adding once he introduced himself as an MLA and other occupants as his PSO and driver, the officer kept asking about parentage and other questions.

The MLA from HumshaliBugh constituency alleged that police ignored their identity cards and kept them virtually under confinement for 45 minutes. The police, however, denied the allegations levelled by the National Conference leader.

"Someone called up and informed us that a person with a black jacket was holding an AK 47 assault weapon in a vehicle. We flashed the vehicle number and the vehicle was intercepted near GMC Jammu", SHO Bakshi Nagar Ashwani Kumar said.

He said after questioning it was found that the person was the personal security officer (PSO) of the MLA who was wearing a black jacket on his uniform.

"We asked the PSO to remove the jacket as it was sending a wrong signal amongst the common people and after that we let them go. There is no question of any harassment or illegal confinement of anybody", the SHO said.

The issue prompted anger from the party's working president Omar Abdullah who attacked the state government for "illegitimately harassing legislators".

"This is a clear case of brazen contempt and disrespect being shown towards the Legislative Assembly and does not bode well for the institutions of democracy in the state," he said in a statement in Srinagar.

The priorities of our chief minister and the State government are clear and evident and sadly it seems they would much rather focus their attention on of the principal opposition party rather than deliver on their promises," he said.

Meanwhile the party's provincial president, Devender Singh Rana said a privilege motion will be moved in the state assembly and legal recourse will be taken to punish the guilty.