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Terrorism got a fresh start under BJP rule: Omar Abdullah hits back at Amit Shah
Omar Abdullah when asked about the home minister’s statement said Shah should compare the graph of terrorism in his tenure as the chief minister in 2009 to 2015 against the past five years.
National Conference’s power duo Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah launched a scathing attack on the Centre, saying terrorism got a fresh beginning in Jammu under the Bharatiya Janata Party-led (BJP) government in the past five years.
The remarks come in response to Union home minister Amit Shah during a recent election rally in Jammu alleging that “terrorism will be back” in Jammu and Kashmir if the Opposition parties, the NC, the Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party.
NC vice-president Omar when asked about the home minister’s statement said Shah should compare the graph of terrorism in his tenure as the chief minister (CM) in 2009 to 2015 against the past five years.
“In his speech, the home minister said if the NC-Congress government comes into power, terrorism will increase. I want to remind him that he should see the six years of my government when there was a continuous fall in the graph of terrorism. And then compare that to the past five years during which every year the graph of terrorism has increased,” he said.
Omar said Jammu had become the hotbed, with terrorism getting a fresh beginning under the current central government’s term.
“We are witnessing a new form of militancy in Jammu division — Kathua, Jammu, Sambha, Rajouri, Poonch, Udhampur, Reasi and Doda districts, everywhere militancy is seen. If any government has failed in controlling militancy, that is the current government and the coming NC-Congress government would have to correct that,” he said.
Omar said his party has made a lot of sacrifices against terrorism, adding, “It is unfortunate that the home ministry makes such talks. There can be political differences but presenting the truth in a twisted way is totally wrong. Thousands of NC workers, ministers, MLA and MLCs gave sacrifices, do I have to remind him?”
Omar’s father and NC president Farooq Abdullah also reacted sharply to Shah’s statement, saying the BJP was only trying to frighten the Hindus.
“They think Hindus will give them votes. But they should know that now the Hindus are not those who will listen to them. First they tried to sell (in the name of) ‘Ram’ and now they are trying to frighten them. And they are saying that if the NC-Congress comes into power then the terrorism will start here again. I want to ask them when Article 370 was revoked, did terrorism end? Today, terrorism has again started and for that they are themselves responsible,” he told media in Srinagar on the sidelines of an event organised to mark his father Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah’s 42nd death anniversary.
Farooq said the NC-Congress alliance will ensure statehood in Jammu and Kashmir.
“They [BJP] are scared of the NC and are doing everything to defame us. NC will win and God will help us in changing the destiny of people here,” he said.
Addressing the rally in Jammu city, Shah had accused NC and Congress of “misleading” people on statehood, which, he pointed out, can be restored only by the Centre.
Farooq said he and his allies were also against the “BJP’s idea of India”, adding, “I want to tell him that the Bharat they are making, we are against that. India is for everybody — Hindu, Muslim, Sikh, Christian and Buddhist, all those living here. We are not infiltrators, we are not taking anybody’s mangalsutra, and we are not dividing money for Muslims.”
NC and Congress have forged an alliance for assembly elections, with NC fighting on 51 seats, the Congress on 32 and one each being left for the CPI(M) and the Panthers Party. On five seats, the allies will have a friendly contest. The assembly election, held after 10 years, will be held in three phases on September 18, 25 and October 1.
