L-G has approved 97 files sent to him so far by NC Govt
Jammu Tawi, Oct 8: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday refuted Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s recent remarks suggesting that his party had the option to ally with the BJP after the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections last year. BJP MLA and Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma said the party never intended to join the National Conference (NC) government and was satisfied sitting in the opposition.
Addressing a press conference here, Sharma said the BJP’s “doors are closed” to the NC. “I do not know what dream Omar Abdullah had where the BJP offered to form the government together. If any BJP leader made such an offer, let him prove it publicly or stop misleading the people,” Sharma said, adding that Abdullah should either present facts or apologise for spreading falsehoods.
Abdullah, while speaking at an event in Anantnag last week, had claimed the NC could have tied up with the BJP like the PDP did in 2015 but chose not to, stating he was “not ready to make that trade”. He had also said that including the BJP in the government might have led to an earlier restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.
Reacting sharply, Sharma accused Abdullah of hypocrisy, claiming that it was in fact the NC that had approached the BJP in the past. “Will the BJP go to him? He was the one knocking on our doors. When his recent offer was rejected, he started spreading lies. This is political shamelessness,” Sharma alleged.
He also accused the Abdullah family of “habitually lying” and creating an anti-Centre atmosphere in Kashmir while maintaining cordial ties with Union ministers in Delhi. “He meets ministers, exchanges shawls and bouquets, but back home says he will not allow BJP in power,” Sharma said.
Sharma further alleged that Abdullah was attempting to “promote hatred against the BJP and the Central government” for political gain ahead of the Budgam bypolls. On the issue of statehood, he said people did not want a return to the unrest of the past. “Do you want statehood to bring back hartals and violence? People don’t want that kind of statehood,” he remarked.
The LoP also questioned Abdullah’s frequent complaints about lack of administrative power. “The L-G has approved 97 files sent to him so far. Which one has been stopped? Stop fooling people and focus on your duties,” he said.
‘Don’t raise finger on my leader’: Dy CM
Srinagar, Oct 8: Deputy Chief Minister, Surinder Chaudhary on Tuesday strongly reacted to remarks made by Leader of Opposition (LoP) Sunil Sharma, who accused Omar Abdullah of seeking statehood to consolidate power and target innocent civilians in Kashmir.
Talking to media persons, the Deputy CM questioned Sharma’s silence over key issues affecting Jammu: “What do you want to show? You are not standing with the people of the Jammu division, who gave you 28 seats. Today, Jammu is suffering due to floods. Bridges and houses have collapsed, roads are damaged, and crops and apples are destroyed. Why don’t you speak about that? Did you give any compensation to the affected people?”
Chaudhary further added, “Why don’t you speak about unemployed farmers? Why didn’t you resolve the issue of daily wagers in the last 11 years? Why don’t you speak for Jammu? It’s all drama. The LoP is a leader of reels, not of the ground. NC leaders are among the people, in panchayats, and constantly engaging with them.”
Accusing the BJP of “political drama,” Chaudhary said, “If they truly sympathised with Jammu and Kashmir, they wouldn’t have scrapped statehood or reduced us to a Union Territory. Give us statehood back.”
Responding to the BJP’s criticism of the NC’s manifesto, which includes promises of free electricity, 12 gas cylinders, and employment opportunities, he said, “Did the unemployed youth take birth in the last one year?
