Mir Iqbal
SRINAGAR, Apr 8: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today accused opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) of supporting Bharatiya Janata Party’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections and called Modi’s success a disaster for the country.
Omar said the PDP supports such a person to become the future Prime Minister of the country who is responsible for 2002 Gujarat riots and who refused to wear skullcap of Muslims.
He said that Modi wore Sikh turban in Punjab, cultural dresses of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam, “but refused to wear a skull cap offered by a Muslim cleric”.
“How come Modi will understand the sentiments of Muslims in the country when he refuses to wear skullcap offered by a Muslim cleric,” Omar asked, pointing out Modi’s anti-Muslim sentiment.
Referring to the pen and inkpot symbol of the rival PDP, Omar said: “They (PDP) are supporting Modi who compared innocent Muslims with puppies. Shall Kashmiris vote for such a person, who never respected them.”
Asking people not to vote for BJP and its allies, Omar said Modi threatened to wage war against its neighbours like Pakistan and China. “People should vote a person, who wants better relations with its neighbours and people instead of threatening them,” he said.
Launching direct attack on PDP candidate, Tariq Hamid Qarra, Omar said Qarra tried to join NC last year by approaching NC Provincial party president Nasir Aslam Wani, but NC leadership refused to accept him as he was responsible for the death of NC leader late Ghulam Mohi-ud-Din Shah.
Omar promised his party workers that he will fulfill their demands like development of play ground, lift irrigation, college and better roads in the area, once he will come in power in the forthcoming Assembly election.
Omar was addressing National Conference party workers during an election campaign rally for his father and National Conference (NC) president Dr Farooq Abdullah at Bakshipora, HMT, in Srinagar outskirts today.
Abdullah is contesting from the Srinagar-Budgam Parliamentary constituency, which is slated to go for polls on April 30, against PDP’s Tariq Hamid Qarra.
Addressing party workers National Conference (NC) president and Union Minister of New and Renewable Energy and party candidate for Lok Sabha elections, Dr Farooq Abdullah said the Lok Sabha elections are important for the selection of a visionary candidate for the Prime Ministerial post and not the one who wants to drown Muslims.
Abdullah said Modi is behind land of Kashmir and cautioned people to be alert for the erosion of Article 370 by BJP in nexus with some people here.
He said BJP has in its election manifesto declared that it will revoke Article 370, which guarantees special status to Jammu and Kashmir in the country, once they will come in power. “If Article 370 was not in place, we, Kashmiris, would have been forced to reside on hills and outsiders would have been enjoying our plains,” he said.
Hinting at a nexus between BJP and PDP, he said: “The nexus between BJP and PDP wants to erode Article 370. But I promise that until I am alive, I won’t let anyone touch it,” adding State’s accession with India was due to Article 370.
The NC president urged the party workers to ensure the party’s win in the Parliamentary polls to keep dis-honest out of power.
Abdullah also accused PDP patron, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, for killing dozens of innocent people in Handwara and Bijbehera towns and held him responsible for the killing of Mirwaiz Moulvi Mohammad Farooq and firing at his funeral in downtown, Srinagar, in 1990s. “PDP leaders are responsible for killing of scores of youth during 2008 Amarnath land row agitation,” he added.
“I appeal voters, be cautious at the time of practicing their franchise as people at the booths can misguide you and take your vote in favour of their candidate,” said Abdullah, adding that yesterday such incident was reported in the state of Assam, where people voted their favorite candidate, but the vote went in favour of BJP.
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