Srinagar, May 6: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Wednesday hinted at launching a sharp political offensive in the coming days, declaring that he was currently “holding himself back” from making political remarks but would speak openly soon.
Speaking at a public function in the Tangmarg area of Baramulla district, Abdullah said the present occasion did not permit a detailed political address, even as he indicated that he was preparing to make a forceful intervention on political developments in Jammu and Kashmir and the country.
“I want to burst like a cloudburst,” Abdullah remarked while addressing the gathering, a statement widely seen as signalling an impending political response on key issues.
Though he stopped short of elaborating on the exact nature of the message, the Chief Minister suggested that he was consciously avoiding political commentary for the moment and would address matters in detail later.
The remarks came amid heightened political speculation triggered by claims from PDP leader Waheed Para that discontent was brewing within the ruling National Conference and that some of its legislators were allegedly in touch with PDP president Mehbooba Mufti.
Reacting strongly to the allegations, Abdullah later spoke to mediamen, dismissing the claims as “baseless reports” and accusing the PDP of indulging in rumour-mongering for political relevance.
“Do you think I would be attending these functions if some MLAs were preparing to leave? These are baseless reports,” Abdullah told reporters after the event.
In a sharp counterattack on the PDP, the Chief Minister alleged that the party had indirectly facilitated the BJP’s victory in the Rajya Sabha elections held last year in Jammu and Kashmir.
“These are the same people who helped the BJP in the Rajya Sabha polls. It is not that we are saying this; it was revealed by RTI,” Abdullah said.
The Chief Minister was referring to disclosures made through the Right to Information Act which reportedly showed that the PDP had not appointed a chief polling agent during the Rajya Sabha elections, a development that allegedly benefited the BJP candidate despite the party lacking adequate numbers on its own.
“There is no such MLA in the National Conference who will leave the party to support the BJP,” Abdullah asserted, firmly rejecting the possibility of defections from his party ranks.
PDP’s Waheed Para, in his social media post earlier, had also questioned Abdullah’s silence over the Jammu and Kashmir administration’s decision to declare JamiaSiraj-ul-Uloom in Shopian an “unlawful association” under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
Responding to the criticism, Abdullah said he does not function according to the political line dictated by opposition parties and maintained that both the government and the National Conference speak whenever necessary.
“I do not work according to what some other party says. When I have to say something, I say it. Neither my government nor I is silent,” he said.
“Wherever issues come up on which we have to talk, we talk either on behalf of the government or the party,” the Chief Minister added.
CM Abdullah also weighed in on the controversy surrounding deletion of voters from electoral rolls and the debate over the Special Intensive Revision process, while referring to recent electoral developments in West Bengal.
“So many voters were deleted from the voter list, and the court said they will hear the matter after the elections. What will the hearing now achieve? Elections are over and those people did not get an opportunity to vote,” he said.
“If the BJP had to do it for winning, then be it, they have won now. We will have to see what impact it will have in the rest of the country,” he added.
On the issue of cabinet expansion in Jammu and Kashmir, Abdullah chose not to reveal any timeline but hinted that a decision would be taken when required.
“Why are you people so concerned about it? When we have to do it, we will do it,” he said in a brief response to reporters.
The Chief Minister also addressed concerns related to tourism and security restrictions at several destinations that continue to remain closed after last year’s Pahalgam attack.
He said the government had already reopened a number of tourist spots and that the remaining destinations would also be reopened in a phased manner.
“This was raised in the Assembly as well. Many places have been reopened, some remain, and they will also be reopened gradually,” Abdullah said.
