KL Report
SRINAGAR
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah hit back at Narendra Modi on Monday, saying that Kashmiri Pandits did not leave Kashmir during his father Farooq Abdullah’s regime, but in BJP rule.
“Kashmiri Pandits did not leave Kashmir during Farooq Abdullah’s government. They left Kashmir because of BJP and its partners,” he said in a press conference.
Modi had earlier in the day said that Pandit community fled from thevalley due to Farooq Abdullah’s “misrule”.
“Due to communal politics of Abdullah family, Kashmiri Pandits were removed from their homes only due to their religion. Is this secularism? Just for the sake of politics, Dr. Abdullah’s family communalised J&K, which is a land of Sufism and harmony,” Modi had said.
“Modiji doesn’t have the courage to come to Kashmir. He wants to be the PM of the country but doesn’t have the courage to come to Kashmir,” Omar taunted, Omar
“I don’t think the people of Kashmir can have a place for Modi in their hearts,” he added.
Launching a scathing attack on Modi, Omar said he and his family do not need the certificate on secularism from the Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime ministerial candidate.
Omar said the Gujarat Chief Minister has insulted all Kashmiris with his statement. He added, “I don’t need secularism certificate from you Modi ji, neither does my khandaan, nor do Kashmiris”.
“We are glad that you (Modi) didn’t give us a certificate on secularism, otherwise we might have had to resign,” Omar said.
The J&K CM also mocked at Modi, saying the BJP’s prime ministerial candidate has no knowledge of the state’s history, “so he must not lecture us on secularism”.
“Nothing is wrong in my father’s statement,” said Omar, adding, “Farooq Abdullah has only said that Kashmir will not be a part of communal India. What Farooq sahab has said can happen in the heat of campaigning and even the Election Commission has sent him a notice in this regard.”
