Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on 12 July launched a sharp attack against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), accusing it of engineering political defections across the country, practising ‘back-door politics’ and failing to honour its promise to restore Jammu and Kashmir's statehood.
The chief minister's remarks came a day after Jammu and Kashmir BJP slammed his comments accusing the saffron party of attempting to topple the National Conference government in the Union Territory.
The party demanded he either identify the BJP leaders allegedly trying to poach NC legislators or issue a public apology. It also warned that, if Abdullah failed to substantiate his allegations, he should be prepared to face legal action.
Addressing a public rally in Jammu on Sunday, Abdullah dismissed the BJP's claim that it was not conspiring against the NC, alleging that the party has a record of weakening political parties. "Today, BJP leaders say they are not conspiring against the National Conference (NC). But who is going to believe that anymore?"
Accusing the BJP of orchestrating political splits in several states, Abdullah said, "You (BJP) never tire of plotting conspiracies and splitting political parties. In which part of this country have you not broken political parties? Then how can you say that we are the ones who are lying?"
'And then you proudly call it Operation Lotus’
Referring to Maharashtra, West Bengal and Punjab, he alleged the BJP had consistently sought to weaken political opposition in states.
"Look at Maharashtra. What did you do to the parties of Sharad Pawar and Uddhav Thackeray? Look at West Bengal. What did you do to Mamata Banerjee's party? Look at the Aam Aadmi Party in neighbouring Punjab. Which state should I even begin talking about? And then you proudly say you carried out 'Operation Lotus'," he said.
The chief minister accused BJP of attempting to secure power through political manoeuvring rather than electoral mandates. "You accuse us of making back-door appointments, but the real practitioner of back-door politics is BJP. When you cannot come to power through the front door, you try to enter through the back door," Abdullah alleged.
What was the point of holding elections?
Abdullah questioned the purpose of assembly elections if elected representatives were not given powers. "If Jammu and Kashmir was meant to be governed entirely from Raj Bhavan, what was the point of holding elections?"
He said the NC had accepted the electoral process in good faith because it believed the assurances given by the Centre, Parliament and the Supreme Court regarding restoration of statehood.
"We believed your assurances. We trusted the promises made to the people of Jammu and Kashmir. We trusted the commitment made in Parliament. We also trusted the Supreme Court's direction that statehood would be restored after the elections without any further delay," Abdullah said.
You never tire of plotting conspiracies and splitting political parties.
He said delay in restoring statehood has eroded public confidence and reiterated that the NC would continue its democratic campaign until Jammu and Kashmir regained full statehood.
