Jammu: By not speaking up on the recent killing of a shopkeeper in the Valley, separatists` leadership in Jammu and Kashmir was adopting double standards, state Congress on Saturday alleged.
A day after Chief Minister Omar Abdullah lashed out at separatists, accusing them of indulging in "hooliganism, highhandedness and muscle power", state Congress chief Saifuddin Soz on saturday alleged that they have, on many occasions, applied "double standards" on killings in Valley. "Many times the separatist leadership applies double standards (regarding killings in Kashmir)," Soz told reporters at Congress headquarters here.
"These separatists on many occasions applied double standards on killings, and that was our grouse against them," Soz said. Soz was replying to questions about the silence of separatists over the killing of Tariq by stone-pelters here.
Tariq was hit by a cricket bat on the head by two shopkeepers, who were allegedly enforcing a strike against the arrest of a youth by police following a demonstration on December 3.
The 24-year-old vendor was rushed to Soura Medical Institute and later succumbed to injuries on December 14.
Criticising separatists for forcing people to adhere to their "calendar of disturbances" and lockouts, and making them victims of hooliganism, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had said on Thursday that they should fight on political turf. PTI