JK: PDP ‘ruined’ region by forming alliance with BJP, says Omar
Abdullah was referring to a recent controversy over a photograph of him with Union Minister Kiren Rijiju at the Tulip Garden in Srinagar; the chief minister said he had taken his father to the garden when the minister happened to be there
Launching a scathing attack on the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Monday accused the party of “ruining” the region by allying with the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and said that the PDP was responsible for enabling the saffron party’s entry into the Union Territory.
Speaking in the assembly, Abdullah responded to remarks made in his absence, targeting PDP leaders, particularly president Mehbooba Mufti, for what he described as their political opportunism and hypocrisy.
“Some weird things were said about me in the House when I wasn’t there. These are the same people who once sat in BJP’s lap and talked about milk and toffees while Kashmir burned. They ruined J&K,” Abdullah said, making a veiled reference to Mehbooba Mufti’s past statements during the 2016 unrest.
He also recalled how the PDP, during its tenure, allegedly tried to mislead the youth by distributing cricket bats and organising their participation in events hosted by the then Union home minister in Kashmir.
“Today, the same people are targeting me over a photograph with Union minister Kiren Rijiju. But they haven’t even apologised for the 2016 unrest and the civilian killings that followed. Instead, they trivialised the pain of the people by speaking about milk and toffees,” he said.
Abdullah was referring to a recent controversy over a photograph of him with Union Minister Kiren Rijiju at the Tulip Garden in Srinagar. The chief minister said he had taken his father to the garden when the minister happened to be there.
Opposition leaders of Kashmir criticised chief minister Omar Abdullah for rolling out the red carpet for Union parliamentary and minorities affairs minister Kiren Rijiju in Srinagar even after he introduced the Waqf bill in Parliament last week that was passed by majority vote.
“He requested a photograph and I obliged. What should I have done—refused or misbehaved with him?” Abdullah questioned, defending his action as a matter of basic courtesy. “Those crying foul over the picture are the same ones who allowed BJP a foothold in J&K,” he added.
The political clash comes amid growing tension in the assembly over the recently passed Waqf (Amendment) Act. Abdullah said that a majority of the House members were deeply concerned about the bill but were denied an opportunity to voice their opinions.
“They wanted to express the sentiments of the majority population in J&K. The bill’s passage has hurt those sentiments. What couldn’t be said in the House will now be said outside it,” he said, adding that the National Conference leadership would soon announce its course of action on the matter.
The controversy intensified after PDP leader Waheed Para criticised the speaker’s refusal to allow a resolution to discuss the Waqf issue. Para alleged that the move indicated the government’s complicity with the BJP’s agenda in Kashmir. “They are playing a fixed match. By not opposing the bill, the J&K government is compromising on the interests of Kashmir and its Muslim population,” Para said.
NC to move apex court against Waqf bill
The National Conference (NC) has also decided to move the Supreme Court against the Waqf bill passed in Parliament. The announcement came after J&K assembly speaker and senior NC leader Abdul Rahim Rather disallowed discussion on the bill, terming the matter sub-judice.
