New Delhi: The Central leadership has shown "maturity" in defusing tensions along the LoC with Pakistan following the brutal killing of two Indian soldiers, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday said.
"You cannot expect India to ignore what was done to its soldiers on the LoC in Jammu," he said of India`s reaction after the incident.
He was speaking at a "Young Changemakers Conclave" organised in collaboration with the UN Information Centre for India. "There has been a bit of tension (on the LoC), justifiably so (as) nobody joins the Army of any country to be beheaded. They join the Army to defend the country (and) there is a dignity even in soldering. You cannot expect India to ignore what was done to its soldiers on the LoC in Jammu.
"That having being said, the response (of India) has been been mature and the two Directors General of Military Operation have talked... The tension on the LoC has reduced and its a good sign," he said while answering questions from the audience.
"I believe the leadership that we have in India today is far more mature than to do something silly as to go to war because of this incident," he said in reply to a question from a youngster. Responding to a question about the fate of Kashmiri Pandits, who had to leave the Valley at the onset of militancy in 1990, Omar said, "I cannot force you (Kashmir Pandit) to come back to Kashmir but I can encourage you to come. You guys need to decide when you want to come back.
He made it clear that for the past 10 years no Kashmiri Pandit had fallen prey to bullets of militants "for being a Kashmiri pandit."
"It`s for you guys to decide when you want to come back...And if you want to give the place (Kashmir) a chance," he said in his reply.
The question was posed by a youth from the Kashmiri Pandit community which is observing `Holocaust Day`, 22 years of exodus from the Valley.
PTI