NC-Congress alliance set to form Govt: Omar Abdullah

Ramban, Sep 09: National Conference (NC) Vice President and former chief minister Omar Abdullah Monday said the NC-Congress alliance was set to form government in Jammu and Kashmir and targeted the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) saying that it demanded votes from the people to keep the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) out of power in 2014 but later sat in their lap.

“Now they are again seeking votes to keep BJP out of power,” Abdullah said addressing an election rally at Khari Banihal in support of candidate Sajaad Shaheen.“They often play with the sentiments of the people.”

He said PDP instead of blaming the BJP was targeting NC even as it was the BJP that revoked Article 370 and Article 35-A and bifurcated the state into two union territories.

Abdullah said NC had extended a hand of friendship to PDP Patron Mufti Muhammad Sayeed and offered unconditional support, but he rejected the offer at that time.

He said that the BJP-PDP coalition in 2014 brought destruction to J&K.

Abdullah criticised the BJP for destroying J&K state and also lashed out at former J&K Congress president Vikar Rasool Wani.

However, he clarified that he was not targeting Congress and termed the Congress leaders as his friends.

Referring to Union Minister Rajnath Singh's election rally in Banihal on Sunday, Abdullah said when NC talks about dialogue with Pakistan, the BJP gets irked and criticises them.

“I heard Rajnath Singh say that the government is ready for talks with Pakistan if it stops terrorism while Home Minister Amit Shah in Jammu attacked NC manifesto for advocating dialogue with Pakistan. Now, who is right,” he questioned.

Abdullah said the Home Minister said we could not talk to Hurriyat Conference but Rajnath Singh told the public gatherings in Banihal, Ramban district that in 2016 to initiate talks with Hurriyat leaders and that a delegation of Members of Parliament was sent to talk to them.

“Now, who is telling the truth - the Home Minister or the Defense Minister,” he said.