Doda, Apr 15 : A day after Omar Abdullah hit out at Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) president Ghulam Nabi Azad in his bastion Chenab valley; the latter lambasted the former for coming to Jammu and Kashmir as a tourist.
“Omar spends summers in his maternal grandfather’s house in London and winters in some other country,” Azad alleged.
According to the news agency, Azad, while addressing a public meeting at Wani Manzil in Doda town this afternoon, said that Omar is not familiar about politics here. He was reacting to Omar Abdullah’s statement of DPAP being reduced to a party of only Udhampur parliamentary seat.
“Oh Omar sb, have you been in India you would have come to know. You visit your maternal grandfather’s house during summer in London and visit some hot country during winters and you come here as a tourist,” Azad said.
Azad said that during his term as Chief Minister for six years, Omar Abdullah used to visit Chenab valley for five minutes and didn’t visit the area even once during the last years.
“Have you seen his face in Doda, Bhaderwah and Kishtwar during his tenure as Chief Minister? Has he been here for the last 10 years?” Azad asked people and said that now he (Omar) is visiting every village to seek votes and deceive people for one more time.
“During past one and half years, I have held 50 public meetings in Kathua, Udhampur and Jammu. Stay in India and in the state and you will come to know. After election announcement, he (pointing towards G M Saroori) remained in Kathua and Udhampur for 20 days. It was on my insistence that he came back to Chenab valley and I took charge to hold meetings in Kathua and Udhampur. The leader doesn’t know that we have held over 100 public meetings, what politics he will do,” the DPAP president said.
Azad didn’t spare people who used to call for Azadi in the past and lured people to the culture of guns due to which children of poor people got killed. “Those who were talking about Azadi, did their children get martyred? No. But the children of Alla Rakha and Subhan got it. Children of poor people got martyred. One lakh women became widows and one lakh youth lost their lives,” Azad maintained.
“Was any son or daughter of these leaders attacked and especially of the National Conference,” he asked.
He alleged that leaders who put the state on fire and got settled overseas or in New Delhi and Mumbai left people high and dry in between militants and Army.
“Those who run their governments by putting state on fire are once again out to deceive people by visiting every village to seek votes,” Azad said.
The DPAP president denounced using religion to seek votes and asked people to make a clear choice between people who seek votes on the name of religion and those who seek votes for the overall development. “They are once again coming to seek votes for religion, Islam, and will use religious books for votes during the night. For God sake, this is not a religious war but a political one. Do your religious duty by visiting temples (for Hindu) and offering five-time Salah (prayers) and keeping fast for Muslims but don’t vote on the name of religion,” he said.
“You should give votes on the name of development and to the one who will give you roads, hospitals, schools and employment,” Azad added.
The former union minister warned people that if they vote for those who raise religious slogans then he will backtrack from doing the service to people. “Have we been bitten by a mad dog to keep coming to serve you when you are not ready to stand behind the one who asks to vote on the name of development? It is for the last time that I am asking you to vote for the one who will bring you schools, hospitals, roads and much more,” the former Chief Minister warned.
