Omar, Mehbooba call press club takeover ‘state sponsored coup’

Srinagar: Former J-K chief ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Omar Abdullah termed the takeover of Kashmir Press Club by a group of journalists as “state sponsored coup”.

Today a group of journalists took over Kashmir Press Club. A new interim body of KPC was announced in a statement. Senior journalist Salim Pandit, interim president, announced the takeover to media.

Taking to twitter National Conference Vice President Omar wrote, “There is no government this “journalist” hasn’t sucked up to & no government he hasn’t lied on behalf of. I should know, I’ve seen both sides very closely. Now he’s benefited from a state sponsored coup.”

PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti also tweeted, “Todays state sponsored coup at KPC would put the worst dictators to shame. State agencies here are too busy overthrowing elected bodies & firing govt employees instead of discharging their actual duties. Shame on those who aided & facilitated this coup against their own fraternity.”

All the Kashmir-based journalist bodies have also expressed anguish over the “illegal and arbitrary” takeover of the Kashmir Press Club by some journalists with “open support” from the local administration.