Attempts being made to create tension: Omar amid row over PM’s ‘redistribution of wealth’ remark

Shopian (J-K), Apr 22 (PTI) National Conference vice-president Omar Abdullah on Monday said attempts are being made to divide the country along communal lines and the INDIA bloc is fighting against those trying to spread hatred and fear.

“The country is being told that Hindus are in danger,” he said, apparently referring to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “redistribution of wealth” attack against the Congress.

“Attempts are being made to create tension… Hindus constitute 80 per cent of the population, while the Muslims constitute about 14 per cent. How can 14 per cent of the population be a danger to the 80 per cent,” Abdullah asked, addressing an election rally in Shopian.

Modi while slamming the Congress manifesto at a rally in Rajasthan’s Banswara on Sunday alleged that the opposition party was planning to give people’s hard-earned money and valuables to “infiltrators” and “those who have more children” and referred to former PM Manmohan Singh’s speech in 2006 to contend he had said that Muslims have the “first claim” on the country’s resources.

The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister further said that Muslims have never sought anything more than what is within their rights.

“Show me one Muslim in the entire country who has said that he wants more than what is within his rights. At least, we can hope for what is within our rights, we can hope that you will find someone among the 14 per cent to send to the Lok Sabha or the Rajya Sabha,” the NC leader said.

“This is the first time since Independence that the 14 per cent population has not had a single minister in the central government,” he claimed.

Abdullah said the INDIA bloc was fighting against those powers who are “trying to spread hatred and fear in the country”.

“We had no compulsion to join the INDIA alliance, no compulsion to join the Congress and others to fight unitedly, but we decided to fight because we had apprehensions about the situation.

“We did not enter this alliance or the PAGD for a seat,” the NC leader said, referring to the Peoples Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) — an amalgam of Kashmir parties seeking restoration of Article 370.

He said the party’s aim was not to grab a seat. “Unfortunately, some people joined us who only weighed this alliance for electoral benefits. Today, we are being accused of selfishness… Even if for a minute we accept that we are selfish, then is the Congress which has announced support to (NC candidate) Mian Altaf also selfish? The Congress would have gone with the PDP if we were selfish,” Abdullah said.

The NC has fielded its candidates on all three seats in the Kashmir valley. The PDP, which accused the NC of breaking the PAGD, also then fielded its candidates on all three seats.