Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah on Friday asked people to vote wisely and send a “clear and categorical message” to the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for its “blunders and injustices” committed with people of J&K.
He said this while addressing a series of public gatherings in Gurez and Tulail. The meetings were organised by senior leader and In-Charge Constituency Gurez Nazir Ahmad Khan Gurezi, the party said in a statement issued here.
In his address, Omar questioned, “Why A, B and C teams are silent on BJP’s poison against Muslims. J&K is currently going through a critical period. While people are being evicted from their lands, our religion is being attacked daily. In some places, it is about uniform civil code, in some places, a worshiper is being kicked while offering prayers. We are being taunted repeatedly and our emotions are being played with and all this is being done by BJP for its nefarious political interests.”
He said, “Those who are fighting elections on the symbols of apple, bat-ball and bucket have to answer why they are not raising their voice against the BJP. Are these people not seeing how the BJP is oppressing minorities, particularly Muslims? Are they not able to listen to the speeches of BJP leaders including the Prime Minister, in which the Hindus are being threatened that the Muslims will take away the ornaments of the Hindu women? Why are they avoiding speaking against the BJP?”
The former chief minister claimed that the BJP’s core ideology is that there should be no development in areas where Muslims are in the majority. “BJP cannot bear the upliftment and development of Muslims. It should explain why the tunnel to Gurez, where the road remains closed for three to four months – had not been made despite the party’s tall claims of tourism promotion and development in the valley,” he asked
The NC leader further said, “People remember you in elections and then forget you, but I am personally happy that we have not forgotten you while in power. I will not claim that we have done everything but it is not that we have done nothing, we have done as much as we could. However, there has been no development since we left the reigns of power. All the major and minor projects started by us during our tenure have been put into cold storage.”
