‘Azad’s party contesting to benefit BJP’
Excelsior Correspondent
DODA, Apr 15: Former J&K Chief Minister and J&K National Conference (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah challenged Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) chairman and former Union Minister, Ghulam Nabi Azad to contest the Lok Sabha elections against him, instead of “hiding behind a camera” and making statements targeting his party.
Omar who is currently on a four-day tour of the Chenab region including Ramban, Doda and Kishtwar to garner support for INDIA bloc candidate Choudhary Lal Singh said that Azad must come out openly against him instead of ‘hiding behind the camera’.
“I challenge him (Azad) to contest the polls against me to test his strength. Hiding behind a camera and giving statements against the NC is very easy. If he is a man, let him fight against me. I will see how many votes he gets,” Abdullah told media-persons.
Braving inclement weather, the NC leader carried on with his road show in support of Ch Lal Singh, who is contesting the polls on a Congress ticket against Union Minister Dr Jitender Singh.
Asked about Azad’s onslaught against the NC in his election rallies, Abdullah claimed that he is doing so at the behest of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
“We did not speak against Azad (after he left the Congress and floated his own party in 2022) until he started targeting NC president Farooq Abdullah. We considered him as our friend but he turned out to be a friend of the BJP,” he said, adding, “It is Azad’s compulsion to target the NC as he cannot target the BJP.”
Earlier, addressing a gathering from atop a vehicle despite rains, the NC leader said his tour of the Chenab valley is meant to caution people about the ground situation and the conspiracies to divide their votes and weaken their voice.
“The party with a bucket symbol (DPAP) is not here to benefit you and resolve your issues. It has joined the (poll) contest to benefit the BJP, which revoked Article 370 of the Constitution, bifurcated the erstwhile state into Union territories (on August 5, 2019) and made hollow promises to us,” he said.
Omar said this was the first time in the history of the country that a state was downgraded to a Union Territory. “What has changed after August 5, 2019? They made big promises and accused us of being an obstacle in the development of the region.”
The NC leader said they are compelled to ask about the promised industrialisation, opening of new factories, employment for youngsters and massive development.
Omar slammed the BJP for its “failure” to ensure employment for locals in under-construction power projects and said the administration has decided to lease out electricity from the Rattle Hydro Electric Power Corporation Limited, a joint venture of the NHPC and the Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation, to Rajasthan for 40 years even as “our villages face major power cuts”.
“This is the same power project that gave the BJP Rs 600 crore in the form of electoral bonds,” Omar asserted.
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