Amid serious efforts of the opposition at the national level to unitedly fight the BJP in the coming Lok Sabha elections, the National Conference vice president and former Chief Minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir Omar Abdullah said that the Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) was formed the Centre to counter his (Omar's) party's agenda of getting regional autonomy.
Notably, both the National Conference and the PDP are two important constituents of the Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (I.N.D.I.A)
A week after announcing that the I.N.D.I.A is only for Lok Sabha elections, former chief minister and vice-president of the National Conference Omar Abdullah said the Peoples' Democratic Party (PDP) was formed by the then Union Government to counter NC's greater autonomy move.
Although Omar Abdullah avoided directly naming the PDP, he said that the then-NDA government led by the BJP formed a political party when the NC regime in J&K passed the greater autonomy resolution.
Omar Abdullah was addressing a public meeting at Tanmarg which is the assembly constituency of veteran politician and one of the founders of the PDP Ghulam Hassan Mir.
"To counter NC's greater autonomy move the then Union Government formed a regional party and your former MLA was at the forefront in the formation of the same regional party", Omar said with an obvious reference toward Ghulam Hassan Mir.
Continuing the attack on Mir, Omar Abdullah said that after August 5, 2019, when all political leaders were in jail, Centre formed another political party in J&K and the same former MLA played an important role in its formation.
NC Government had passed the greater autonomy resolution in 2000
Notable J&K Legislative Assembly passed the much-publicized greater autonomy resolution on June 26, 2000, urging that the pre-1953 constitutional position in the erstwhile State be restored.
While the greater autonomy resolution was passed in June 2000, the PDP was formed on July 28, 1999, a year before rejecting the resolution by the Union Cabinet.
On July 4, 2000, the then Union Cabinet unanimously rejected the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly resolution seeking to restore the pre-1953 constitutional position in the state as it felt that acceptance of the resolution would set the clock back and reverse the natural process of harmonizing the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir with the integrity of the nation.
Earlier Omar said that the INDIA alliance is only for the Lok Sabha elections
Last week Omar Abdullah said that I.N.D.I.A alliance is only for Parliamentary elections and not for state polls.
In an obvious reference toward differences that cropped up among constituents of the I.N.D.I.A amid assembly elections in five states, Omar Abdullah said that the alliance is only for Lok Sabha elections.
Mentioning toward the decision of some of the constituents of the I.N.D.I.A to fight against each other in the ongoing assembly elections in five states, Omar said, "If INDIA alliance did not want to share seats in the state elections, then they should have cleared it beforehand".
Again flayed Cong for banning the Hijab in Karnataka
On the second consecutive day, Omar Abdullah flayed Congress for banning the Hijab in Karnataka and termed this action against individual freedom.
"Earlier it was the BJP government in Karnataka now the Congress regime in the same state has imposed a ban on Hijab", Omar said.
Earlier on Tuesday Omar asked Congress leaders Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi to work on revoking the ban on hijab (headcover) imposed by the Karnataka Government.
"When all this used to happen in Karnataka earlier, it would not surprise us because there was the BJP Government at that time", he said, adding, "But it is sad that during Congress' tenure, such decisions are taken. It is very unfortunate.
"I request Congress president Sonia Gandhi and senior leader Mallikarjun Kharge and Rahul Gandhi to reconsider the order that has been issued in Karnataka and work on revoking this order," Abdullah said.
