Srinagar: At a time when Prime Minister Nadrenda Modi is in the state to throw open one of South Asia’s road tunnels on the highway connecting Kashmir with the mainland India, his party and his allies in the state, are at the focus of massive criticism. Part of the wave is because of two of the three Kashmir Lok Sabha segments are going to polls, early next week.
Independent lawmaker Engineer Rashid who stayed away from the polls on Sunday had a symbolic protest outside his official residence in Srinagar. His workers were carrying placards: “We are already living in a dark tunnel.” Seeking “right of self determination”, Engineer and his workers accused visiting Prime Minister of killing Muslims in Gujarat and attempting overwriting a Hindu Rashtra on existing India.
However, the bulk of criticism to BJP, Modi and his allies came from former Chief Minister and NC leader Omar Abdullah. Talking to varous small gatherings in Budgam villages, as part of his campaigning for his father Dr Farooq Abdullah, he accused the PDP-BJP alliance for the prevailing Kashmir situation.
Omar especially mentioned the UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath to bring home his belief that he has the capacity of “building a temple in every mosque”.
“Yogi Adityanath is someone who can build temple inside every mosque, this is never going to unite the country but rather break it soon,” Omar was quoted saying. “So why does J&K Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti have to join hands with them?”
Omar accused PDP of prevailing Kashmir situation and attributed it to the alliance. “PDP had pushed Kashmiri youth to the wall and robbing them of an opportunity to live with peace and dignity,” Omar told people, insisting that the incumbent government has pushed Kashmir to such a crossroad where nothing is visible other than harassment and fear. This has brought developmental activities to a grinding halt.
Insisting that there were no positive interventions in the systems, Omar said the ruling party strengthened the unbridled powers of the security grid and reinforce and empowered them with additional “5,000 pellet guns and seven lakh pellets”.
NC spokesman told Kashmir Life that Dr Farooq Abdullah is campaigning in the city periphery and has met a number of people. He spoke to people at various places, he said.
