Omar Abdullah Accuses BJP of Double Standards, Says Party Selective on Dynastic Politics
Jammu: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Monday accused the BJP of hypocrisy, saying the party readily accepts dynastic politics within its own ranks but uses the term only to attack its rivals.
Speaking to reporters here, Abdullah also said that legal and constitutional experts associated with the National Conference (NC) are examining whether the party should join the ongoing Supreme Court case concerning the restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s statehood.
Abdullah said the NC is working hard to win both the Budgam and Nagrota assembly seats in the by-elections scheduled for November 11. The Nagrota bypoll was necessitated by the death of BJP MLA Devender Singh Rana on October 31 last year, while the Budgam seat fell vacant after Abdullah retained Ganderbal—his family’s traditional bastion—following his victory from two constituencies in last year’s elections.
The BJP has fielded Rana’s daughter, Devyani Rana, from Nagrota and Aga Syed Mohsin from Budgam, while the National Conference has nominated Shamim Begum, a District Development Council member, for Nagrota and former minister Agha Syed Mehbooba for Budgam.
“One of these seats (Budgam) was ours, and the other (Nagrota) we lost last time. We are confident of performing better now because the BJP has again proved what I’ve been saying repeatedly—that it has no problem with dynastic politics as long as it’s within their own party. They only object when it’s others,” Abdullah said.
On the issue of joining the Supreme Court proceedings on statehood, Abdullah said the NC was still weighing its options.
“We have to assess both the pros and cons. If there’s merit in going to court, we will. Our legal and constitutional experts are studying the matter, and their advice will guide our next step,” he said.
When asked about PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti’s petition before the High Court seeking the transfer of Kashmiri prisoners lodged in jails outside the Union Territory, Abdullah said the matter is now sub-judice.
“Since she has approached the court, we’ll all have to wait for its verdict. The issue can no longer be discussed in the Assembly because it’s now before the judiciary,” he added.
Addressing concerns over reservations, the chief minister said his government is committed to aligning the quota system with the Supreme Court’s ruling that caps total reservations at 50 per cent.
“The cabinet sub-committee has finalized its report, which will be sent to the lieutenant governor after cabinet approval in the next meeting,” he said.
Reservation has become a contentious issue in Jammu and Kashmir following the Centre’s move to expand quotas—raising the total to nearly 70 per cent after introducing a 10 per cent quota for Paharis and other tribes, and enhancing the OBC quota to 8 per cent.
“The Opposition only began discussing reservations after the National Conference included it in our election manifesto. My government is barely a year old, yet this issue predates us,” Abdullah said.
On the recent floods, Abdullah noted that his government had submitted a detailed damage assessment to the Centre.
“This time, the devastation was greater in Jammu than in the Valley, unlike the 2014 floods. We’ve sent a memorandum and are hopeful that the Centre will soon announce a flood relief package,” he added.
