Omar blasts Cong for playing victim card

Reacting to Congress president Sonia Gandhi’s statement that National Conference (NC) prevented the Congress from implementing UPA’s pro-poor programmes in Jammu and Kashmir, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said on Saturday that the grand old party is playing the victim card ahead of elections.

During an election rally on Friday, Sonia said, “They (NC) did not implement our programmes, including the food security bill, although we gave them full support to run the government.”

Omar reacted, “Sonia Gandhi has made certain inaccurate and out of context remarks about the food security bill without taking into account that NC opposed this bill because it would deprive around 15 lakh people in the state of subsidised ration and foodgrain.”
“We will not allow any bill or act to hurt the interests and rights of people.

Also, I find it amazing that the Congress leadership sees issues with the NC today but was appreciative when we were out campaigning for Rahul Gandhi during the parliamentary elections which we fought jointly,” Omar said while addressing election rallies in north Kashmir’s Sumbal and Kangan areas.

“The Congress has been in the government in J&K for six years and has held important portfolios in my cabinet. Now, when elections are here, rather than being confident in their campaigning and trying to show some basic minimum confidence about the report-cards of their own ministers, they want to pretend that they were in the opposition all this while and want to play the victim card. And sadly, the Congress chairperson’s remarks are along the same line,” he rued.

Real solution

“India and Pakistan would have to settle the Kashmir issue according to the sentiments and aspirations of the people of the state as they are the primary stakeholders of their political destiny and any possible solution would have to respect their dignity and sentiments...I have said so as an elected chief minister in office and I have said so in front of a visiting prime minister,” he said.