Omar Abdullah Critiques Opposition’s Approach: Personal Attacks on PM Modi Counterproductive

Srinagar, 08-03-2024: National Conference (NC) Vice President Omar Abdullah stated on Friday that personal attacks on Prime Minister Narendra Modi by the opposition often backfire, with slogans about his family only resulting in a self-goal. Abdullah’s comments were prompted by RJD chief Lalu Prasad Yadav’s remark on the Prime Minister’s lack of family.

As a member of the opposition’s INDIA bloc, Abdullah emphasized that such tactics, reminiscent of the “Chowkidar chor hai” slogan from the previous election, tend to be counterproductive. “I have always been against such slogans as they do not benefit us. In fact, they have the opposite effect and cause us harm. Voters are not swayed by such slogans; they want to know how current issues will be addressed,” Abdullah remarked during a press conference. “The electorate is concerned about issues like job creation, agricultural distress, and revitalizing the rural economy. They want substantive discussions on these matters rather than trivialities like someone’s family background,” he added. Abdullah cautioned that indulging in personal attacks only undermines the opposition’s credibility and plays into the hands of the ruling party. He highlighted Prime Minister Modi’s response to such attacks, where he portrayed himself as belonging to those who have no familial attachments. Regarding the NC’s decision not to allocate any seats in the valley to the PDP for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls, Abdullah clarified that it was based on electoral performance rather than any bias. He also criticized the PDP for targeting the NC on various platforms, including social media. Abdullah questioned the concept of coalition ethics, citing instances where the PDP had criticized the NC publicly, including during elections in Pakistan.

Despite these challenges, Abdullah affirmed that the NC remains open to forming alliances, particularly with the Congress for the upcoming assembly polls in the Union Territory. Regarding seat-sharing with the Congress, Abdullah revealed that the NC has offered two seats in the Jammu region for the national party to contest. Additionally, he expressed a willingness to collaborate on selecting a consensus candidate for the Ladakh seat to challenge the BJP. Reflecting on his party’s involvement in the INDIA bloc, Abdullah expressed reservations about compromising the NC’s interests for the sake of alliance partners. He admitted that if he had known earlier about the potential concessions required, he might have reconsidered joining the alliance.

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