SRINAGAR — National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Monday said if his party’s candidates get elected to the Lok Sabha they would be committed to fighting the “BJP’s hate-mongering politics” and for restoration of rights and dignity of people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister claimed that a conspiracy had been hatched and “we are being dragged back into economic slavery”.
“Our lands are in danger and our youth do not get employment. If you visit a government office, you will not find any locals. All the officers come from outside. You try to get a work tender, you won’t get it. Even the works for sand lifting from the rivers are given to outsiders while locals are ignored,” he said.
“It is only the National Conference candidates who are committing that if they are elected, their every word and deed will be against the BJP’s hate-mongering politics. We will fight for our existence, our identity and our rights,” Omar Abdullah said at a rally in the Langate area of north Kashmir.
The National Conference leader is contesting the Lok Sabha polls from the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat where Sajad Gani Lone is seen as his main opponent. Abdullah dared Lone to commit publicly that he will not help the BJP in case he is elected to Parliament.
“The organisation which has spread hate and poison against Muslims in this country, why does he not dissociate himself from that party? Why does he not announce that if elected, he will never support the BJP? He will never do it because he cannot do it,” he said.
Omar Abdullah claimed that while the BJP had launched an “onslaught” on the people of Jammu and Kashmir and their identity, the political parties here have reserved all criticism for the National Conference.
“Every wrong done to Jammu and Kashmir has been done by the BJP. Article 370 was removed by the Centre, our identity is under attack by Delhi (Centre). But they (Sajad Lone) will still target the NC. You will never find them criticising the BJP. You will have to ask them what is their compulsion for all this. What favours are they trying to return to the BJP?” he said at the rally.
Abdullah claimed the BJP wanted to make the Lone the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir in 2018 after the party pulled out of the coalition government with the PDP.
“The situation at that time was such that Altaf Bukhari, on behalf of the PDP, came to meet the National Conference. He sought help saying that they wanted to stop the conspiracy of the Centre. The National Conference extended support for making Altaf Bukhari the chief minister.
“Who came to support my opponent in this election, who is trying to defame me everywhere? Who wrote the letter to the Governor to make him the CM? It was the BJP. Can Lone deny that he was not the CM candidate of the BJP in 2018? Today also it is the BJP that is helping him. (BJP’s J&K chief) Ravindra Raina comes here (Kupwara). What for? They do not have a candidate here,” he added. — (PTI)