Beleaguered Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah resorted to two tactics to safeguard his chair in the aftermath of Kishtwar violence that claimed three lives and sought to plunge the embattled State in a communal inferno. First, he asked his junior Minister of Home Affairs, Sajjad Ahmad Kichloo, blamed for fomenting trouble in the region, to resign.
Secondly, he launched a tirade against the Bharatiya Janata Party recalling 2002 Gujarat riots and reminding the BJP leadership of their response to the situation there. The BJP-bashing has been started to counter the nationwide campaign launched by the Opposition party besides appeasing the Congress, which promotes persuasive voices against the right-wing party.
The BJP's chief election campaigner and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi and leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley upped the ante against Omar Abdullah-led coalition Government for the situation in Kishtwar, which triggered communal violence and engulfed most of the Jammu region. On Sunday, Abdullah blamed "some political parties" and "vested interests" for fomenting trouble in the State but a day after he was more than categorical in targeting the BJP.
In response to Modi and Jaitley's accusation that a certain community was being targeted in the State, Omar began naming the names for the first time. On his favourite microblogging site Twitter he wrote, "Three unfortunate deaths — one Hindu, two Muslims and we have a judicial inquiry with my Minister resigning. Would the BJP care to recount 2002 responseIJ" Interestingly, Omar Abdullah was part of the BJP-led NDA Government in 2002 and he did not resign in protest against the 2002 riots.
In a pointed reference to Narendra Modi, Abdullah tweeted, "On that's right they can't because their star PM hopeful waited days to call out Army & has yet to apologise. Hypocrites". He also sought to compare his junior Minister Kichloo's resignation with the Gujarat situation of 2002. "Would Jaitley be so kind as to inform Parliament whether the Gujarat Home Minister or MOS resigned or offered to in 2002!" he said.
Observers say that Omar's diatribe against BJP is aimed at appeasing the Congress, which has the tendency to befriend anyone who turns out to be bitter enemy of the BJP. Omar was accommodated by the Congress in 2008 only after his party National Conference snapped ties with the NDA. His boding consolidated with the Congress after he delivered a fiery speech in Parliament in support of UPA's civil-nuclear deal with the US.