Srinagar: Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah today said that Farooq Dar, who was used as a human shield by the Army during by-polls to Srinagar parliamentary seats in April, was damned by people who wanted poll boycotted and by the establishment that wanted people to vote.
“Farooq Dar has been damned by the people who wanted the election boycotted &he’s been damned by the establishment that wanted people to vote,” Mr Abdullah, who is the working president of National Conference (NC), wrote on micro-blogging site twitter.
Mr Abdullah was responding to police report that Mr Dar had cast his vote before he was used as human shield by the Army to evade stone pelting during the bye-election to the Srinagar parliamentary seat in April.
A video went viral on social media showing Mr Dar tied to an Army jeep, triggering severe criticism from Kashmir and many sections of the society, besides politicians, in the rest of the country.
This prompted Army to initiate an enquiry against Major Leetul Gogoi. However, Gogoi was given a commendation card by the Army for his efforts in counter-insurgency operations and initiative to prevent bloodshed in the Valley even before the enquiry was concluded.
This move also attracted criticism by people and politicians in Kashmir valley, besides many human rights organizations and various sections of the society from rest of the country.
But, the Army was backed by many Union Ministers, including Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, who had said that Army officers should be free to take decisions in a war-like zone. Major Gogoi was also defended by Army chief Bipin Rawat.
