Azad dismisses 'Hindu CM' remark of Congress leader, challenges BJP

Ahead of Assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir, senior Congress leader and leader of opposition in Rajya Sabha Ghulam Nabi Azad on Tuesday dismissed the assertions of party colleague that time has come when the state should have a Hindu chief minister.

“Demand for the Hindu CM for the J&K cannot be decided by an individual but by the Congress MLAs after the elections result are declared. I can only say that the chief minister is chosen by the MLAs after winning the elections,” Azad was quoted by a local news agency as saying.

A day after putting in his papers as a minister in Jammu and Kashmir government, senior state Congress leader Sham Lal Sharma had on Sunday called for a Hindu chief minister in the state while attacking some National Conference ministers over alleged discrimination against the Jammu region.

“If a person representing a minority community can be the Prime Minister of the country for 10 years, why cannot a Hindu be chief minister of the Jammu and Kashmir state?” Sharma had said.

Over forging post-poll alliance for the government formation in Jammu and Kashmir, the former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir in a guarded reply said, “At present, our priority is to gain maximum seats. However, if the need arises to forge any alliance, we have our options both with NC or PDP available.”

He also challenged BJP over its slogan of abrogation of Article 370.“That person has to take rebirth who wants to abrogate the Article 370. Congress will not allow anyone even to touch it,” he asserted.

He ridiculed BJP’s ‘Mission 44+’ in Jammu and Kashmir terming it a hoax. “Instead of 44 plus, BJP should strive for four seats during Assembly elections in JK. The party cannot even win four seats from the state,” he said and dismissed that the recent poll results of Haryana and Maharashtra would have any effect on results in J&K.