Union Minister Jyoti Sadhvi’s controversial remarks have come handy to Jammu & Kashmir Chief Minsiter Omar Abdullah to whip up passions against the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi ahead of latter’s Kashmir visit on December 8.
Speaking at an election rally in south Kashmir’s Tral pocket that would go to polls along with 16 constituencies in the third phase of elections on December 9, Omar said that by voting the BJP candidates and attending the Prime Minister’s rally in Srinagar, no saner Kashmiri would like to be listed as the "illegitimate son".
Surprisingly, Omar has upped the ante against the BJP during the past one week, apparently in reaction to Modi and other top BJP leaders' frontal attacks on him and his dynasty. The BJP leaders vow to dethrone Abdullahs and Muftis calling them most corrupt ruling dynasties.
"Pardon me I would not like to taint myself as an illegitimate son by voting for the BJP," Omar said sarcastically asking the people not to vote for the ruling party at the Center. He said it was good that the BJP showed its real face and the mask was off.
"The BJP had put a mask on its face and come to Kashmir with its Mission 44. The mask has fallen off midway", he said. Asking people not to boycott the Assembly elections, Omar said that casting votes would not hinder the Kashmir resolution. "The myth has been exposed that boycott would help National Conference, it is the BJP that wants direct benefit from the boycott politics and have set the Mission 44," he said.
Interestingly, Tral was considered as one of the Kashmir constituencies where the BJP is banking on poll boycott enforced by militants so that migrant votes could tilt the balance in the BJP's favour. The BJP has fielded Avtar Singh, a little known medical representative, who has lives in Srinagar and Jammu for the past 25 years.
Omar said that the BJP has fielded proxy candidates in many constituencies. Omar conceded that the BJP's Mission-44 clamour has resulted into heavy turnout in these elections.
The Chief Minister said that he was missing his father, Farooq Abdullah, in election campaigning. "All over the country there are very few people who can campaign like Dr. Farooq and his absence in campaigning is a setback to me in person and to my party in general", Omar said.