Omar commended the Supreme Court for raising questions on the issue of deletion of names from voter lists. (File image)A day after 150 alleged Bangladeshi nationals picked from across the Union Territory were airlifted to West Bengal, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday said the sudden action seemed a “bit strange”.“If you look at it, their presence here has not really caused us any particular harm. However, it is also true that they cannot stay illegally,” he said.Omar said that Rohingyas are being unfairly targeted, adding that it is not in the hands of the UT government but the government at the Centre, “who are using the police to move them out.”“We gave them (Rohingyas) refuge here, a little space, and allowed them to stay here until conditions in their country improved. Now, suddenly taking action against them seems a bit strange to me,” he said.The 150 people airlifted to Bagdogra, from where they will be deported, are among 500 who were detained from different parts of the Union Territory during a survey to identify illegal immigrants.Meanwhile, speaking to reporters, Omar commended the Supreme Court for raising questions on the issue of deletion of names from voter lists.Omar said, “The good (thing) is that questions are being raised in the Supreme Court as well, especially the deletion of names from voter lists. The SC has sought answers regarding this from the EC and the Government of India. We will have to see how far this can be corrected by the courts.”Story continues below this adThe Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Centre and the Election Commission of India (ECI) on a petition accusing Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar of acting in violation of the law that governs his terms of office by functioning in a unilateral manner, and seeking his removal.The notice issued by a three-judge bench, presided by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, was also directed at Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, Deputy Election Commissioner Maneesh Garg, and ECI Director General (Information Technology) Seema Khanna.On INDIA bloc’s Delhi march, he said that after the leaders met in New Delhi, a calendar was drawn out for this month. “The beginning of that was for the members of Parliament from the INDIA bloc to march toward the Election Commission, and this will go on,” he added.In response to a query regarding the implementation of the UCC in Jammu and Kashmir, the CM said, “A Uniform Civil Code is not truly uniform until it is implemented everywhere. It will never be implemented here.”Story continues below this adHe also pointed out Bihar’s resistance to its implementation, stating that, “Similarly, there are other governments too that have said the UCC will not be applied in their states. So, this is only being implemented by the BJP.”He said it is “wrong” that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is trying to implement this step by step in states where they are in power. “These matters are not handled from state to state. If you have the courage, bring a legislation in Parliament, debate it and then let’s see whether it passes or not. If you look at it in the true sense of a democracy, this has to be debated at the Centre. They will not introduce this law in Parliament because they do not have the numbers,” he said.Naveed Iqbal is a Senior Assistant Editor at The Indian Express, and reports from Jammu and Kashmir. With a career spanning over 15 years in frontline journalism, Naveed provides authoritative reporting on the region’s transition, governance, and the socio-political implications of national policies. Expertise Regional Specialization: Based in the Srinagar and New Delhi bureaus, Naveed has spent over a decade documenting the unique challenges of Jammu and Kashmir. Her reporting is distinguished by deep contextual knowledge of the region's post-Article 370, statehood debates, and local electoral politics. Key Coverage Beats: Her extensive body of work covers: Politics & Governance: Tracking the National Conference (NC), PDP, and BJP dynamics, including in-depth coverage of J&K’s first Assembly sessions and Rajya Sabha polls following the reorganization of the state. Internal Security & Justice: Providing rigorous reporting on counter-insurgency operations, terror module investigations, and judicial developments involving political detainees and constitutional rights. Education & Minority Affairs: Highlighting systemic issues such as quota rows in J&K, public service commission reforms, and the challenges faced by minority communities. ... Read More