SRINAGAR: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Monday dared BJPs prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi to visit Kashmir for the election campaign- stating he (Modi) doesnt have guts to campaign for BJP candidates here.
Omar also stated that he and his party was thankful to Modi that he again made Dr Farooq (Abdullah) a national leader. We are thankful that Modi has leveled such charges against the National Conference, we hope same will continue in future also. We were returning from Kangan and my father laughed and said that see I am again a national leader, said Omar while addressing newsmen at his Gupkar residence.
In a direct attack on the National Conference patron, Modi had earlier accused Dr Abdullah and his family for communalising the political atmosphere in Kashmir. Modi also advised Dr Abdullah not to give lessons to people on secularism. The BJPs prime ministerial candidate also accused NC of being responsible for the exodus of the Pandits from Valley in 1990.
While referring to Modis allegations, Omar stated that the people of Jammu and Kashmir do not need the lecture of secularism from the person like Modi. He is the one who doesnt even know the full name of Mahatma Gandhi and he is habitual of manipulating the historical facts. The fact is that people of J&K taught the values of secularism to the entire world. When the whole subcontinent was burning with the flames of communalism in 1947- Mahatma Gandhi saw a ray of hope only in Kashmir.
Remarking that it was his party National Conference that introduced the idea of Hindu Muslim unity, Omar stated that the exodus of Pandits is a known fact and everyone in Kashmir accepts the same. It was not the tenure of NC when Pandits left their homes- Jagmohan was the governor of Jammu and Kashmir and he was installed by Mufti Mohammad Sayeed who at that time was the union home minister, said Omar, adding that Kashmiri Pandits migrated with BJPs support. Jagmohan was a minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government. BJP people are experts in using the pain of Kashmiri Pandits for politics.
Omar added that BJPs prime ministerial candidate during his recent visit to Jammu talked about everything except the issue of valleys Pandit community. Now the issue of Pandits suits BJP and it is playing politics over the miseries of the community. The chief minister stated further, Do you [Modi] have the guts to come to Kashmir to seek votes. You can visit Jammu, to Ladakh and to any other place in the country. But given the condition you have created for yourself here, how you have tried to defame the people of Kashmir. I don’t think people here have a place for you in their hearts. Omar added that he would have to resign from politics if Modi would have praised him. Since he has targeted us and termed us communal, we are thankful to him. We dont need any certificate of secularism from the person like Modi.
After a question over his fathers remark that those who vote for Modi should drown in sea was posed to Omar, he stated that Dr Farooqs statement was blown out of the proposition and that he used those words in a proper context. When it was said that those who vote against Modi should go to Pakistan, we replied differently. Omar stated that his party is raising the issue of Modi and BJP during the parliamentary polls and that during the assembly elections he will seek votes on the developmental issues.
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