J&K Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Monday attempted to further cement his ties with the Congress ahead of the lok Sabha and Assembly polls by announcing that National Conference’s alliance with the Congress is neither a marriage nor live-in relationship. It’s a ‘friendship’ and an ‘old relation’.
Setting the record straight on the floor of the Upper House Omar said, “We have not wasted time in the last five years. We have worked together for the welfare of the people of the State. Our intentions are clear and we are clean hearted. We have achieved the purpose for which the alliance came in to being.”
Omar was reacting to PDP MlC Naeem Akhter’s observation that coalitions usually are “marriages of convenience” but Omar-led alliance does not fall in that category on basis of the performance. “It seems more of a live-in relationship.”
Taking a dig at his opponents, Omar also clarified, “We have worked together in the past and we are working together at present. We have worked successfully and if you want any proof you can go through our record number of Cabinet meetings.”
“Never ever we have fought with each other, not even once any Cabinet Minister walked out of the meeting,” he added. Omar said we have held around 30 Cabinet meetings every year during our tenure with the sole purpose of working together and fulfilling aspirations of the people. He said we tried our best to provide ‘good governance’ to the people of the State.