Omar Abdullah Critiques PM Modi’s Speech in Srinagar, Deems it Lacking in Novelty

Srinagar, 08-03-2024:Omar Abdullah, the vice president of the National Conference (NC), expressed his disappointment on Friday, stating that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech at a rally in Srinagar lacked novelty and failed to address the hopes of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Speaking to reporters at a party function, Abdullah remarked that the speech did not offer any new insights, reiterating familiar topics without addressing critical concerns such as the restoration of democracy.

Asserting that while the prime minister cannot directly announce elections himself, Abdullah emphasized that Modi could have at least mentioned the necessity of conducting assembly elections before the Supreme Court’s September 31 deadline. He highlighted various pressing issues that were not addressed in the speech, including the restoration of full statehood, unemployment among youth, regularization of daily-wage workers, and the electricity crisis.

Expressing disappointment over the lack of mention of these issues, Abdullah underscored the missed opportunity for the prime minister to address crucial concerns facing the region. Responding to Modi’s remarks about Article 370 being exploited by certain parties, Abdullah countered by alleging that it was the BJP that exploited the issue for political gain.

Abdullah pointed out the emotional attachment the people of the region had with Article 370 and criticized the BJP’s handling of the matter. He cited the promotion of a Bollywood film centered around Article 370 by the prime minister during his visit to Jammu as an example of politicizing the issue. Abdullah questioned the need for such promotion, suggesting it was a clear attempt to leverage Article 370 for political purposes.

In a separate development, former Baramulla MLA Javed Hussain Beig, along with his supporters, joined the NC. Beig, previously associated with the Apni Party, was expelled from the party recently. He had served as a PDP legislator from the Baramulla assembly segment in 2014 and is the nephew of former deputy chief minister Muzaffar Hussain Beig, who is also a Padmashree awardee.