Mendhar/Jammu, September 20: National Congress (NC) vice-president Omar Abdullah on Friday criticised the central government of India, terming it anti-Muslim and saying it was the first government since independence that had no Muslim ministers despite Muslims constituting 14 per cent of India’s population.
Abdullah refuted the BJP’s charge that the National Congress (NC) was “soft separatist” and questioned why 4,000 to 4,500 workers, office bearers, MLAs and legislators of the party had been killed in the past 35 years.
“This is the first government since independence that has no Muslim ministers, even though Muslims make up 14 percent of India’s population. The home minister will come here to seek Muslim votes and he should be asked why we have no representation in the central government,” Abdullah said
He said this at a public rally at Jammu and Kashmir Gatehar campaigning for his party candidate Javed Rana.
He further criticized the party, saying that “the Sikh community, which constitutes 2% of the total population, has representation in the government, while Muslims, who constitute 14% of the total population, do not have the same rights.”
“You won’t find a single Muslim representing us. Will we vote for this BJP that has sealed our mosques, schools and madrassas, bulldozed Muslim-owned shops in Uttar Pradesh and asked our girls to remove their veils before going to school?
“Will the BJP go for votes for this? What have they done for us?” he asked.
The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister also responded to the BJP’s terming of the NC as “soft separatists”.
“If they want to call us mild separatists, fine. But why have 4,000 to 4,500 of our workers, public servants, MLAs and MLCs been killed in the last 35 years? Who should be held responsible for the deaths of these 4,500 people if we followed the agenda of Pakistan or militants and weakened the country?” he said.
Referring to the allegation that the BJP was executing the agenda for terrorists and Pakistan, Abdullah pointed out that there was a discrepancy between the BJP’s claims and the reality.
Abdullah slammed the BJP for its “lack” efforts in development and said he wanted to ask the home minister about the BJP’s “boasting” of a twin-engine government.
“They claim that when the Prime Minister of Delhi and the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir are from their parties, there will be massive development. But tell me, what benefit have the people of Mendal gained from it? Has nothing new happened there in the last 10 years?” he said.
The Nepali Congress vice president said that despite the party’s desire for development in Jammu and Kashmir, which has had a dual-engine government for 10 years, first under Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, then Mehbooba Mufti and now under the governor and lieutenant governor, no progress has been made in Mendhar.
Abdullah also criticised the People’s Democratic Party, saying: “The People’s Democratic Party, like the PPP, also lies.”
“In 2014, the PDP had raised the slogan that to defeat the BJP, the PDP must be elected. The people gave them 28 seats, but Mufti Sayeed gave these 28 MLAs to the BJP. How can you believe that they will not do the same again in 2024?” he said.
He said what the PDP did in 2014 could be repeated in 2024, and he “warned” voters that the danger was not over yet.
“They will try to divide us because they fear that a united coalition will bring them worse results. Please don’t split the vote and let them succeed,” he urged the public.
Abdullah said the first phase of the election was over and claimed that reports showed that both the Nepali Congress and the Congress candidates would win.
Expressing confidence about restoring the special status and statehood of Jammu and Kashmir, he said: “A lot has changed in the last 10 years. We are a state. We have our own flag and constitution.
“Ladakh has been taken away from us. Today, we have nothing. But anything can change. What happened on August 5, 2019 was not God’s will but a conspiracy by Delhi. One day, we will get it back,” he said.
He also responded to the remarks of former Congress member and BJP leader Devender Rana, saying, “This man never told the truth in his 25 years in the Congress party. What do you expect from him now? He cheated the people of Jammu for 25 years. He cheated me too. Don’t expect him to tell the truth now.”
Responding to Rana’s claim that the NC vice-chairman had sought a government deal with the home minister in 2014, Abdullah said: “Does he suddenly have this thought now that he has joined the BJP? This man who has deceived me for 25 years – how can I expect him to tell the truth? He is not a trustworthy person and I will not waste my time on him.”
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