SRINAGAR: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Thursday said the BJP’s real face has been exposed by the comments of Union Minister Sadhvi Niranjan Jyoti and its “mask” has slipped.
“It is a good thing that Kashmiris have seen the real face of the BJP. Sometimes they come (here) wearing masks but these masks keep on slipping,” Omar told reporters after addressing an election rally in Tral town of south Kashmir Pulwama district.
Omar said he was not worried about the comments made by the Union Minister but it is important that people understand what BJP is all about.
Jyoti stoked a controversy on December 2 by allegedly making communal remarks and using an expletive in an election rally in Delhi.
“This is the BJP which wants ‘Mission 44’ here (in JK), this is the BJP that wants people of Kashmir to follow them.
This is the BJP that people need to be warned about,” he said.
Omar said National Conference was the “only force that can stop BJP from achieving its divisive agenda. That is the message we are taking to people.”
Asked about reports that one lakh people are expected to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s maiden poll rally in Kashmir on December 8, Omar said he cannot comment on the numbers but felt that so many people will not vote for BJP.
Replying to a question about high voter turnout in the first two phases of the elections in the state, Omar said people want to get their problems resolved as they have realised that boycott does not benefit them.
“I feel, particularly in Kashmir, people have realised that boycott will not benefit them, it will benefit BJP.
“Perhaps, due to the ‘Mission 44’ of BJP, the result is that those who were not willing to vote till yesterday, are today turning out to vote,” he said.
The working president of NC said the BJP’s maximum effort will be in the areas where the effect of boycott is more.
“Three to four seats in Srinagar, and Sopore they are supporting some candidate. Our efforts will be that people take part in the elections in large numbers and cast vote for us and defeat the BJP mission,” he said. .
Asked about the recent increase in militant attacks, Omar said it was a question that the Centre should answer.
“Army is not under my control. Had it been, I would have revoked AFSPA. CRPF is not under my control and today even police is not under my control as elections are in process.
Police is under control of Election Commission or directly the Union Home Ministry.
“So if the blasts are taking place, the Centre should answer,” he said.
Omar also claimed that NC stands to benefit from high voter turn out as it would defeat the designs of BJP.
“If people don’t come out to vote, I will be at loss. I want more and more people to come out to vote so that the BJP designs are defeated. Low voter turnout favours BJP, not the NC,” he added.
Omar admitted that absence of his father and NC stalwart Farooq Abdullah from the ongoing election campaign was a setback for him personally as well as for the party.
“There is no better campaigner than Farooq Abdullah in this state, no party has (such a campaigner). There are very few people who can campaign like Farooq Abdullah.
“His absence from the ongoing campaign is a big setback personally as well as for my party,” he said. (PTI)