Budgam, J&K – In a sharp exchange of accusations and counter-claims, Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has blamed PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti for paving the way for the abrogation of Article 370, while the BJP has alleged that Omar Abdullah sought ties with them in 2014.
Speaking to media persons on the sidelines of a public rally at Rangreth, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah launched a scathing attack on PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, accusing her of paving the way for the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A by aligning with the BJP. He stated that Mehbooba Mufti should reflect on her actions and their consequences. "She implemented the GST law, brought the BJP here, and laid the foundation for the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A. What did we gain?" he questioned. The Chief Minister argued that Mehbooba Mufti lacks the moral authority to criticize others when her own decisions have allegedly harmed Jammu and Kashmir. He criticized her for not apologizing for the loss of lives during the 2016 unrest and for joining hands with the BJP.
Drawing a comparison with the Left parties, Omar Abdullah pointed out that the Left admitted their historical mistake of not allowing Jyoti Basu to become the Prime Minister. He questioned why Mehbooba Mufti couldn't admit the "historical mistake" of aligning with the BJP and expressed his incomprehension at her reluctance to apologize.
Meanwhile, the BJP has accused Chief Minister Omar Abdullah of having "hidden agreements and secret dealings" with Delhi in the past and claimed that he reached out to the NDA government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi after the 2014 elections. BJP leader Sunil Sharma, addressing a rally in Budgam, challenged Abdullah to publicly deny any such agreements. Sharma claimed that after the 2014 assembly elections, Abdullah attempted to form an alliance with the BJP, but the BJP leadership, guided by principles, rejected these "opportunistic overtures".
Senior BJP leader Devender Singh Rana has also accused Omar Abdullah of seeking support from top BJP and RSS leaders in 2014 to form a government with the party. Rana claimed that Omar Abdullah offered unconditional support to the BJP for a full-term Chief Minister in Jammu & Kashmir. He further alleged that after the death of former Chief Minister Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, Omar Abdullah renewed his efforts to seek BJP support. According to Rana, Farooq Abdullah instructed Omar to meet BJP and RSS leaders in Delhi and offer unconditional support, but the BJP rejected the offer again.
These accusations have been refuted by the National Conference. Countering Abdullah's allegations, Rana stated that Abdullah had repeatedly approached the BJP and RSS for government formation after the 2014 elections, even as Abdullah claimed that Ram Madhav was closer to the PDP. Rana, a former leader of NC, reminded Abdullah that he had served as a Union Minister in the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government, yet now claims that the National Conference has no ties with the BJP.
The political blame game has intensified as the region heads towards bypolls on two seats. Omar Abdullah has been attacking the PDP for its past alliance with the BJP, while Mehbooba Mufti has criticized Omar Abdullah's one-year-old government as a failure. These exchanges highlight the complex and often contradictory political landscape of Jammu and Kashmir, where alliances and accusations shift rapidly.
