Statement comes in light of the recent tussle between Congress and the Samajwadi Party.
SRINAGAR
Former Chief Minister and National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah has cautioned the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) in Kashmir and the Opposition alliance I.N.D.I.A at the national level not to bring fore internal squabbles at this crucial juncture.
He said that recent tussle between Congress and Samajwadi Party reflected the fact at all is not well in the Opposition camp and expressed hope that I.N.D.I.A bloc will meet after the state elections are over. While Dr Farooq Abdullah is virtually carrying the PAGD alliance on his shoulders, his party National Conference and his son Omar Abdullah are not comfortable with PDP and for alliance in the coming elections. The National Conference in its public outreach programmes has sensed public support in Jammu and Kashmir regions and they have the internal party assessment that fighting elections under the PAGD banner will not go well with their workers.
National Conference and Omar Abdullah feel that on the ground, they have arch rivals as PDP wants to fight the elections as the single party. However, Farooq Abdullah has recently told his party leaders that he is ready to walk the extra mile for greater unity and maintain silence even on criticism against his party.
Even for seat-sharing in the coming parliamentary elections, Omar Abdullah is opposed to conceding any seat to the I.N.D.I.A bloc or Congress in Kashmir valley. There have been news reports from New Delhi that Omar Abdullah may gravitate to BJP after the elections if held in Jammu and Kashmir.
While he cautioned the Opposition parties not to rake up internal rifts, he said that BJP will take advantage of such internal squabbles at the national level. While reacting to PAGD units hitting out at each other, he said that even after provocation, he has not said a word against anyone. “I have not said anything. I have not targeted any of my friends, though for the past several months, the NC has been targeted. But this is also right that for the first time, I have not tried to stop my colleague,” he said. Cautioning PDP not to go for criticism, Omar Abdullah said that he has plenty to talk about political rivals. His remark carried the reference to PDP leaders criticising the National Conference at a party event last week and blamed them for the present political mess. “They have been raking up issues for the past 30 years. We do not have to go that far, we just have to go back three or four years.” He was referring to the PDP-BJP alliance in Jammu and Kashmir and its break-up which finally culminated into abrogation of Article 370.
As there is a lot of talk about elections, Mehbooba Mufti and her party PDP are targeting the National Conference only to get more space in the urban areas of Jammu and Kashmir, as they feel that they are also getting huge public response.