SRINAGAR: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Friday dismissed speculation about instability within the National Conference, asserting that not a single MLA had deserted the party and that all legislators remained firmly with the NC.
Speaking to reporters in Srinagar, Omar said recent political developments had so far taken place only in West Bengal and there was no reason for concern about Jammu and Kashmir, where elections were not due till 2029.
“I only want to tell the Leader of Opposition that there is no Eknath Shinde in the National Conference. NC MLAs are standing firmly with the party. Whatever has happened so far has happened only in Bengal. Elections in Jammu and Kashmir are not due till 2029, so why are you worried about J&K already?” Omar said.
The Chief Minister said people should first observe the impact of political developments in the rest of the country before drawing comparisons with Jammu and Kashmir. Referring to the delimitation exercise in the Union Territory, Omar alleged that it had been carried out only to benefit the BJP and its allies.
“We have already suffered through delimitation. We know it was done only to benefit the BJP and its friends. Now let us see what happens next,” he said.
Omar further alleged that recent political developments reflected the BJP’s intentions and claimed that leaders like Eknath Shinde emerge only because they receive support from the BJP. Taking a swipe at the Leader of Opposition, Omar said he appeared impatient to occupy the Chief Minister’s chair in Jammu and Kashmir.
“I only want to tell the LOP that there is no Eknath Shinde in the National Conference,” he said.
The Chief Minister also clarified that the delay in cabinet expansion was not due to fear or instability within the government, but because Jammu and Kashmir had not yet been granted statehood.
“Cabinet expansion has not been delayed because of fear. It has been delayed because statehood has not been restored to Jammu and Kashmir,” Omar said.
He alleged that statements made by the opposition repeatedly proved that the BJP would not allow the elected government in Jammu and Kashmir to function properly unless it itself came to power. Omar further accused the BJP of using restoration of statehood as a political weapon.
“The people of Jammu and Kashmir, especially those who voted for the BJP in the last elections, should remember that the LOP and his party are indulging in blackmail politics. People here are being threatened and pressured in the name of statehood,” he said.
Referring to the political situation in Tamil Nadu, Omar Abdullah said there should ideally be no President’s Rule if Supreme Court judgments were followed in letter and spirit. He said there were several rulings in which the apex court had clearly held that after elections, the single largest party should be invited to form the government and be given an opportunity to prove its majority on the floor of the House.
Omar cited the example of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s 13-day government, saying the President of India at that time did not wait for Vajpayee to first produce numbers before inviting him to form the government.
“Vajpayee was invited to form the government and when he could not prove majority, he resigned,” Omar said. He further said that Raj Bhavan or constitutional authorities had no justification to block such a democratic process. According to Omar, the BJP should be allowed to form the government and later prove its majority in the Assembly. “If they prove the majority, they will continue. If they fail, they will have to resign,” he said.
