‘We never let BJP enter J&K despite being in NDA’: Omar Abdullah's counter to Mehbooba Mufti
“I think the BJP should be thankful to Sheikh family and Omar, he helped them to implement their agenda when he was a minister,” Mufti had said
National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah on Friday said that his party did not let Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) enter Jammu and Kashmir despite being part of the National Democratic Alliance in the 2000s.
Abdullah's statement was in response to People's Democratic Party (PDP) chief Mehbooba Mufti, who said,"I believe Modi Ji should be thankful, especially to Sheikh (Abdullah) family. It is because of (NC founder) Sheikh (Mohammad) Abdullah that J-K's accession with the country took place."
"When Omar Abdullah was a minister in the BJP (government), they (NC) brought POTA here, banned Shahtoosh, and BJP even took Omar across the world to show that J-K is not a (political) issue, but only a terrorism-related issue which should be resolved by attacking Pakistan," PTI quoted the former chief minister as saying.
"I think the BJP should be thankful to Sheikh family and Omar, he helped them to implement their agenda here when he was a minister," she added.
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“I would like to tell Mehbooba Mufti that we were part of the NDA, however, we never let BJP enter Jammu and Kashmir. Despite being part of NDA, we did not let BJP win Jammu's Parliamentary seat,” PTI quoted Omar Abdullah as saying.
In the 2004 Lok Sabha elections, Madan Lal Sharma of Congress had defeated Nirmal Singh of BJP in Jammu.
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PM Modi's ‘dynasty’ jibe at Opposition in J&K
Addressing an election rally in J&K capital Srinagar on Thursday, Prime Minister Modi had hit out at Abdullahs, Muftis, and Gandhis, accusing them of bringing “only fear and anarchy to Jammu and Kashmir”.
“The three families think that it is their birthright to capture power by any means and then loot you all. Their political agenda has been to deprive the people of Jammu and Kashmir of their legitimate rights. They have given only fear and anarchy to Jammu and Kashmir but now Jammu and Kashmir will no longer be in the grip of these three families,” he said.
“Now our youth here is challenging them. The youth whom they did not allow to progress have come out against them,” the prime minister added.
(With agency inputs)