Modi Slams Omar Over Separate PM for J&K, Asks Opposition’s Stand
Modi alleged that Congress’ ally wants to turn the clock back to 1953, when there was a separate PM for J&K.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday, 1 April hit out at National Conference leader Omar Abdullah over his statement seeking a separate prime minister for Jammu and Kashmir, and demanded the Congress-led opposition alliance’s stand over the statement.
Addressing an election rally in Hyderabad, the Prime Minister alleged that the Congress' ally wants to turn the clock back to 1953, when there was a separate prime minister for Jammu and Kashmir.
Modi questioned Trinamool Chief Mamata Banerjee, former Prime Minister HD Deve Gowda, Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and NCP supremo Sharad Pawar whether they agreed with Omar Abdullah's statement.
We Have Always Stood for Restoration of Terms of Accession: Omar Abdullah
Earlier in the day, the National Conference leader said that Kashmir became a part of the Union of India on the grounds that it would have its own identity and its own Constitution.
Omar said those threatening to scrap Article 35 should know that Jammu and Kashmir would get back its posts of prime minister and “Sadr e Reyasat”.
Following the prime minister’s remark, Omar said his party had stood for the restoration of the terms of accession which Maharaja Hari Singh negotiated for J&K in 1947. He also urged the opposition parties to not hesitate in distancing themselves from his statement.
“Dear friends in the Congress & other opposition parties. Please don’t hesitate to distance yourselves from my speech of today. In fact call Modi ji’s bluff by doing exactly that,” the statement read.
Omar’s remarks comes on after PDP Chief Mehbooba Mufti said that the relationship between Jammu and Kashmir and the Union will depend whether Article 370 is revoked.
I Will Not Let Conspiracies Divide the Country: Modi
Stressing that the “politics of division” being followed by Opposition parties would impact the country negatively, Modi said, as long as he was there at the helm, he would not allow conspiracies to divide the country.
“This kind of division politics negatively impacts the country. Two or three days back, one leader of the National Conference shouted Pakistan zindabad. Congress always tried to strengthen the hands of anti Indian forces. Due to this mentality, these people raise questions on surgical strikes. They insult the bravery of our defence forces,” he said.
The prime minister asked if the people need a country with bomb explosions or with peace. Appealing to the electorate to vote for the BJP, Modi said the country needs a strong government for it to be peaceful.
He also said, “Till Modi is here, you will not succeed in your conspiracies. Modi is standing as a wall between the country's enemies and people of the country.... To make a strong country, we need a strong government, and not a helpless one.”
(With inputs from PTI.)
(At The Quint, we are answerable only to our audience. Play an active role in shaping our journalism by becoming a member. Because the truth is worth it.)