Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Apr 21:As the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) seeks mandate for Narendra Modi across the country as next Prime Minister of India, the coalition partners in the State, Congress and National Conference, are seeking mandate for Rahul Gandhi as the PM.
Addressing joint rallies in South Kashmir’s Congress bastion of Kokernag and Dooru, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and Union Health Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad, sought votes for Rahul Gandhi as pitching him as Prime Ministerial candidate.
Addressing election rallies at Dooru and Kokernag today, Omar said in Parliamentary elections people have to make a choice between Rahul and Modi as Prime Minister of India.
Targeting Opposition PDP for their truck with Modi, Omar said: “Defeating PDP in these elections, people would be ensuring the defeat of communal forces spearheaded by Narendra Modi. Defeating PDP would also amount to a defeat of falsehood and deceptive politics.”
The Chief Minister said that Rahul Gandhi is a time tested friend of Jammu and Kashmir and his intention to seek all round welfare and prosperity in Jammu and Kashmir is clear and demonstrated. He said Rahul Gandhi symbolizes the secular and democratic ethos of the country and deserves to be the Prime Minister and lead the country towards new heights, ensuring inclusive and equitable development.
“Both PDP and BJP are skilled at flaring up emotions, dividing various sections of the society, polarizing the atmosphere and making false promises which they have conveniently shelved whenever they came to power”,he said.
Omar said that BJP pledge in its manifesto about abrogation of Article 370, enactment of the Uniform Civil Code and constructing a Temple at the site of Babri Masjid at Ayodhya were all indication of the communal mindset of Narendra Modi.
He said the PDP is an active accomplice and partner of BJP’s conspiracy to divide the people on communal lines and is working day and night to help Narendra Modi in his pursuit to be the Prime Minister of India.
Omar said that bartering the interests of Jammu and Kashmir for Chief Ministership has been the handiwork of PDP in the past. He said PDP’s interests in trading innocent lives and emotions of the people became amply clear when this party came to power in the State. “The hidden face of PDP got revealed before the masses through their anti-people agenda and behaviour during its tenure in the power”, he said.
The Chief Minister said that fielding of candidates in the Parliament elections, particularly in Jammu-Poonch and Udhampur-Doda constituencies by the PDP is to benefit BJP. “It has unearthed the hidden alliance between the two parties”, he added.
Omar cautioned the people against going astray because of PDP’s deceptive and fake sloganeering, falsehood and propaganda. “This has been the habit of PDP all along. You should beware of falling prey in their trap”, he added.
The Chief Minister asked people to vote in large numbers in favour of NC-Congress candidate Dr. Mehboob Beg and help democracy and secularism to get strengthened in the country as well as the State. He said National Conference MPs have always highlighted Jammu and Kashmir centric issues in the Parliament positively and will continue to do so in the future while the then PDP Parliament member Mehbooba Mufti’s track record in this regard has been shockingly dismal and disappointing.
Union Minister for Health and senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad, also addressed the joint rallies in Dooru and Kokernag. He sought votes from Congress supporters for National Conference candidate, Dr Mehboob Beg. He said that voting for Beg means voting for Congress. He asked his supporters to vote for NC so as to defeat the communal forces.
Azad said Modi should not be the Prime Minister of the country as he carried the stigma of 2002 communal riots in Gujarat.
“He (Modi) is the only leader who has been a Chief Minister for 12 years but has been refused entry into the United States. We may think that the US is a Muslim friendly country — not that big friend of Muslims,” Azad said adding “should we allow such a person to become Prime Minister of India”.
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