Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday blamed the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) prime ministerial candidate, Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi, for the killing of 27 Muslims in Assam.
Speaking at a public rally in Tangmarg, Omar said Modi’s speaking against Muslims in Assam had provoked the 32-hour killing spree suspected Bodo mili t a nt s in Kokrajhar and Baksa districts of the northeastern state.
“Three days before the massacre, Modi labelled all Muslims in Assam Bangladeshi and tried to create venom against the community there,” said the CM. “The same Modi is trying to malign Kashmiris all over the country.” Omar was referring to a recent Modi interview in which he had said Kashmir was the only place where people were driven out based on their religion. The Gujarat chief minister, refer ring to the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from this state, had also blamed the Abdullah family for it.
“If Narendra Modi becomes prime minister, it’ll be dangerous for not only the country but also Jammu and Kashmir,” he said. “Modi believes in dividing people to secure power,” he told the gathering in north Kashmir that goes to polls on May 7.
{{/usCountry}}“If Narendra Modi becomes prime minister, it’ll be dangerous for not only the country but also Jammu and Kashmir,” he said. “Modi believes in dividing people to secure power,” he told the gathering in north Kashmir that goes to polls on May 7.
{{/usCountry}}Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Omar said by acquiring strong communal overtones, leaders ran the risk of inflaming passions. “It cannot be a coincidence that Modi runs a campaign in that part of the country, painting all Muslims Bangladeshi immigrants, and three days later, 30 Muslims get killed there in unprovoked violence. Certainly, there is a link,” the CM said.
“You cannot lead this country by fear, you cannot lead by dividing. If you (Modi) try and divide people on communal lines and instil fear in them, these are going to be the results,” Omar stated. State Congress president Saifuddin Soz also addressed the rally.