Srinagar, May 1: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday launched a scathing attack on the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), accusing it of “peddling lies” over the status of Urdu to distract from its alleged political understanding with the BJP.
Responding to claims that the government intended to drop Urdu, Abdullah clarified that the administration had only sought public feedback on a departmental proposal and no decision had been taken.
“There is a difference between asking for public comments and dropping a subject. The file is still on my table. I have not approved it,” he said.
He criticised the PDP leadership in strong terms, saying they “do not see the difference between truth and lies”, and took a swipe at PDP leader Iltija Mufti, questioning her understanding of administrative procedures despite her education. Mufti had alleged that the government was attempting to remove Urdu from the collective history of Jammu and Kashmir.
Terming the controversy a deliberate diversion, Abdullah said it was a “magic trick” to shift public attention from the PDP’s conduct in the Rajya Sabha elections. Referring to an RTI disclosure that the PDP had not appointed a chief election agent for last year’s Rajya Sabha polls for four seats, he said the ruling National Conference (NC) views it as evidence of a tacit alliance with the BJP.
“Whatever we are suffering today is the result of the fact that they brought the BJP here and settled it,” Abdullah said, blaming the PDP’s past alliance for the region’s current political challenges.
On national developments, the chief minister warned that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls could set a “dangerous precedent” if it impacts the outcome of the West Bengal assembly elections. He said electoral manipulation was not happening through EVMs but through voter list revisions, alleging that voters were being deleted.
Referring to the high drama outside a strong room in Kolkata, Abdullah said it was the right of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to deploy party workers to guard EVMs, noting that similar practices existed during the ballot paper era.
He termed the West Bengal election a “huge challenge” for the opposition, warning that if the SIR influences results, it would be dangerous for democratic processes. On exit polls, he expressed scepticism, citing past inaccuracies, and said the final verdict would be clear once results are declared.
