Omar slams Mehbooba’s ‘flawed’ logic to alliance with BJP

National Conference president Omar Abdullah on Wednesday hit out at the logic being put forth by Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti to justify her party’s alliance with the BJP.
Omar said the Chief Minister had been presenting a “flawed” argument that had the PDP not formed the government with the BJP, it would have led to a repeat of 1987 and 1947.
“You (Mehbooba) have devised new ways to justify the alliance with the BJP. The first argument that you put forth before this House was that the PDP formed the government with the BJP to save a situation like 1987. You often blame Farooq Abdullah for creating Syed Salahuddin. There was a coalition of the NC and the Congress at that time. If Farooq Abdullah was heading the NC, who was heading the state Congress. I also know the answer and you too. If you point a finger at Farooq Abdullah, why don’t you look towards yourself,” Omar said while speaking in the Assembly.
“If anything has happened in 1987 and you blame the NC for it, please blame the head of the state Congress too who was part of those elections. Media reports and pictures are proof that if Farooq Saheb campaigned in the election, the state Congress president was also present on those occasions,” Omar said.
The former Chief Minister said Mehbooba had argued in the Upper House that had they not formed the government with the BJP, Jammu would have witnessed a “1947-type situation”.
“I have heard and read about the 1947 communal tension in Jammu. One of your ministers also recently threatened Muslims with a 1947-like situation. So you have been saying that had you not formed a government with the BJP, a 1947-like situation would have been repeated. What it infers is that all your colleagues (referring to BJP law-makers) are murderers. And if you would have not taken the BJP along, they would have murdered Muslims in Jammu. This is what you have been saying. It is not what I am saying, but you have been telling this,” he said.
“You have given an impression that if people of Jammu are not in power they will indulge in violence. This is a total wrong impression as we have also won two seats from Jammu and they (legislators) are not so communal,” Omar said. Omar also hit out at the government for releasing rioters in Jammu.
“I had asked for calm when the Jammu incident happened. We were assured that rioters in Jammu would be arrested and booked in appropriate offences. But they were released within 24 hours,” Omar said.