‘Omar Abdullah missing’ poster sparks political row in J&K, Farooq hits back at BJP

Srinagar, May 22: A political storm erupted in Jammu and Kashmir after the BJP circulated online ‘Omar Abdullah missing’ posters in a bid to mock the chief minister.

The BJP’s J&K unit shared the ‘missing’ posters on its social media handles, seeking information about Abdullah and claiming that he has been “missing for the last ten days”.

The saffron party’s criticism comes amid reports that the chief minister is outside Jammu and Kashmir on a personal visit.

Reacting to the posters, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah hit back at the BJP, saying that the saffron party has “nothing better” to do.

“They have their own campaigns, they know what they are doing. We don’t have to answer them,” the senior Abdullah told reporters after offering the congregational prayers at the Hazratbal shrine here.

Farooq also brushed aside rumours of a split in alliance with the Congress in Jammu and Kashmir.

“I think it is our enemies who are saying all this. The alliance is there, nothing will happen,” he said.

Referring to concerns about the ongoing fuel supply crisis, Farooq hoped that the West Asia crisis would end soon.

“I hope the war between Iran and the US will stop, and God willing, we will get out of these difficulties,” he said.

On the row over the recent demolition of homes of Gujjar and Bakarwal families in Jammu’s Sidhra area, the NC president said his party or the state government had no role.

“We are not involved in that. They (the lieutenant governor) have done it, and an investigation is going on. It is not just in Sidhra, but also in other places in Jammu, where such attacks have taken place on Gujjars. They don’t understand that these people were the biggest sympathisers on the borders,” he said.

To the opposition PDP’s charge that the J&K government was following UP CM Yogi Adityanath’s model, Abdullah lashed out at them, saying, “They are the ones who created this mess.”

“They ended Article 370 and 35A. They are responsible for the destruction of our state. Now they are raising a hue and cry. What is their job? I am sad that they do not feel ashamed. They took us towards destruction and are now beating the drums. They should first look within, what troubles they brought to the people here,” Farooq claimed. (PTI)