Omar attacks BJP over Article 370

Taking on the likes of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday said the BJP was confused about how to sell its “poisonous” political idealogy to the people of the state.

Omar said the contradiction in the statements of the BJP leadership is a clear indication that the party wants to “sweeten its poisonous political agenda to deceive people”. Modi, during his first election rally in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, had not made any reference to the controversial Article 370, which grants special status to the state and the Centre had hinted at scrapping.

“The BJP is fully confused how to sell its known anti-Jammu and Kashmir policy in the state and as such indulges in making contradictory statements and misleading people by falsifying facts,” Omar said while addressing election rallies in the remote areas of Kishtwar in Jammu. He expressed faith that the people of the state were well-versed in the divisive, sectarian and regional bias that the BJP had nurtured since its inception.

Cautioning the people against the BJP’s strategy, the chief minister said: “Some six months earlier the BJP fought parliamentary elections in Jammu with the abrogation of Article 370 and its policy of ‘One Flag, One Constitution and One President’. Today, the party leadership says that these are not issues. This is only to fool people with vote bank politics.” Omar said the NC did not require the certification of the BJP or any other political outfit.