The former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah on Wednesday took a dig at his political opponent Mehbooba Mufti saying the reason behind youth picking up arms was Mehbooba's ‘failure’ to do ‘chowkidari’ in the state.
Mehbooba during an election rally in south Kashmir’s Anantnag, from where she is contesting, had said that she had done 'chowkidari' (keeping watch) for people of Kashmir as the state's chief minister.
She was disappointed about the low attendance of her own party workers in the rally meetings and said that she saved the people from the terror of the army, task force and ‘Ikhwan raj’, adding that she “literally did ‘chowkidari’” for their safety.
“After Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Mehbooba Mufti is claiming to have done ‘chowkidari’ for the people of the state in the last over four years. (But) It was the failure of her ‘chowkidari’ that the youth are picking up guns in Kashmir,” Omar told reporters on the sidelines of an election rally in Anantnag.
The NC leader claimed that prevailing situation, including loss to tourism and anger among people, was the outcome of Mehbooba’s failure in doing ‘chowkidari.’
He hoped that the people of Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency will teach Mehbooba a lesson.
He also hit at ‘chowkidar’ Narendra Modi, saying whether terror attack in Sunjwan, Jammu or recently Pulwama, he “failed everywhere.”
“Chowkidar has failed in saving economy of the country. After demonetisation, it was said that black money will be removed, but in elections the seizure of money indicates that demonetisation has also failed. We don’t say ‘chowkidar chor hai’ (the watchman is the burglar) but he has failed,” he said.
Asked about allegations levelled against him by the Peoples Conference (PC) chief Sajad Lone wherein he had alleged that Omar after culmination of 2014 elections had met BJP leaders in Delhi for the government formation, Omar replied: “Ask this question to (BJP general secretary) Ram Madhav, not me.”
He also claimed that governor Satyapal Malik had told government officials that Assembly elections in the state will not be held soon.
“I don’t know how come the governor has made such claims. Either his intentions are not good, or he wants to ruin the state by ruling it for a long time,” he claimed.
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