Srinagar, May 6: National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah on Monday said PDP candidate for Baramulla Lok Sabha segment helped the ruling BJP in abrogation of Article 370.
Addressing a series of public meetings in Langate and Zachaldara Handwara, Omar said, “The PDP candidate from Baramulla Lok Sabha segment did not vote against abrogation of Article 370 in Rajya Sabha. You should ask the candidate with the inkpot where he was when Article 370 was put to vote in Rajya Sabha? BJP did not have a majority in Rajya Sabha. He remained absent. He did not vote against abrogation of Article 370.”
The meetings were organised by Incharge Langate Shafqat Watali and Incharge Handwara Choudhary Mohammad Ramzaan.
Omar said the PDP candidate remained absent from the Rajya Sabha to directly help BJP to abrogate Article 370. “Should we again send such representatives to the parliament,”he said.
“A conspiracy is being hatched and we are being dragged back into economic slavery. Our lands are in danger and our youth are unemployed. If you visit a government office, you will not find any locals. All the officers come from outside. If you try to get a work tender, you will not get it. Even the work for sand lifting from the rivers are given to outsiders while locals are ignored,” he said adding, “It is only the National Conference candidates who are committed to their word and deed which will be against BJP’s hate-mongering politics. We will fight for people’s identity and rights.”
Omar said 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. But these parties 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.
Omar said BJP wanted to make Sajad 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. What for Ravinder Raina comes here when they have no candidates here,” he added.