Nagrota: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday slammed Congress for finding faults in the functioning of his government at the fag end of the coalition regime and asked why the party did not criticise him when he backed Rahul Gandhi for prime ministership a few months ago.
“Six months ago when I was campaigning for them (Congress), they did not find any fault in me, when I was campaigning for Rahul Gandhi to become the Prime Minister of the country that time they didn’t find fault in me, but now all of a sudden they have started finding the faults,” Omar said, addressing an election rally in support of National Conference (NC) nominee Devendra Singh Rana here.
Omar blamed the Congress for leaving the state of Jammu and Kashmir on the verge of polarisation in 2008 during the Amarnath Land row.
“When you left the government in 2008 the state was almost divided. There was so much of distrust between the two regions that the employees from Kashmir were not ready to work in Jammu and even the businessman from Kashmir had stopped doing business with Jammu,” he said.
Omar said it was during his tenure as chief minister that two regions of the state came together and there were no communal riots in the state.
“You divided people of the state, but we (NC) brought them together. There has been 70 per cent decline in the militancy in Kashmir, lakhs of tourists are visiting the state, we have developed the state and now you term me as a failure,” Omar said, referring to the allegations of the Congress leadership for terming his government a “failure”.
He accused the Congress for taking the credit of all the developmental works done under his leadership.
Omar ridiculed the BJP leadership for targeting his party for promoting dynasty rule in the state and said the saffron outfit itself was promoting the same.
“They say they would remove dynasty rule in the state, whereas they themselves have promoted the same in this very constituency by giving mandate to the brother of their member of Parliament,” Omar said.
Omar said BJP has failed to deliver on the promises it made to the people before it came to power at the Centre. “You said that you would abrogate Article 370 (of the Constitution) and you even gave example of my sister who was not able to buy land in the state. Now when you have come to power you have forgotten my sister. You forgot all the promises,” he said.
“You promised to bring back black money in 100 days, you promised to bring down the prices, but nothing had happened so far as you have failed to deliver on your promises,” he said.
Omar said that even after being in power for more than seven months the BJP has not fulfilled its promise of bringing back the black money.
“You promised to bring back black money within 100 days and promised that every Indian would get a share of 15 lakh rupees from that money. Now everyone is waiting for his share of 15 lakh rupees that you promised. Even I am also standing in the queue to get my share of 15 lakh rupees,” he said.
Omar accused BJP of indulging in politics of deceit by making only false promises.
“They have not even fulfilled a single promise they made to the people of the country and now they are deceiving the people of the state. When I was the chief minister they targeted me when I asked to revoke AFSPA and now BJP says that if it comes to power it would revoke the act,” he said.
He said the BJP leadership was saying one thing in Jammu and another in Kashmir.
Omar said BJP was seeking the votes in the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi as if he was the chief ministerial candidate in the state.
“Will Modi come to attend the meetings of the district development board, will he come to speak on your behalf in the assembly. I am not aware that he wants to become the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir,” Omar said.
Though Omar acknowledged that the sailing would not be smooth for NC, he expressed hope that the people would give his party another chance and would reject the parties that were trying to divide the state on com
