'Omar Abdullah presented Delhi as a villain in front of the people of Jammu Kashmir before elections and now is shaking hands with them.'
All is not well for Omar Abdullah ever since he became chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir in October 2024.
Omar had promised that Article 370, which was revoked by the Narendra Modi government in August 2019, would be restored after he came to power.
Four months after becoming CM, Abdullah, it seems, has forgotten this assurance, which has led to a rift with the National Conference's Lok Sabha MP from Srinagar, Aga Ruhullah Mehdi.
In December Mehdi protested on the streets over another issue, the Union Territory's reservation policy.
This protest outside Omar's home in Srinagar surprised many because it was at Mehdi's invitation that Abdullah contested the assembly election from Budgam, Mehdi's hometown.
Omar defeated Aga Syed Muntazir Mehdi of the Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Democratic Party in Budgam, but decided to give up the constituency as he had also been elected from Ganderbal.
"The Omar Abdullah government has become an extension of the BJP. Everything the central government says, Omar Abdullah accepts it," Muntazir Mehdi tells Syed Firdaus Ashraf/Rediff.com, explaining what is going wrong with Omar Abdullah and his National Conference party.
It looks like the Omar Abdullah government has put Article 370 on the backburner, restoration of which was the National Conference's election promise.
Omar Abdullah and the National Conference's sole aim was to reach the chief minister's chair.
They used the emotions of Kashmiris which was attached to Article 370, stating that they will restore it once they come to power.
The people of Kashmir exercised their vote to express their anger against the Government of India ruled by the BJP as they had scrapped Article 370 in August 2019.
Unfortunately, the Omar Abdullah government has become an extension of the BJP. Everything the central government says, Omar Abdullah accepts it.
Can you give an example?
It is the same Omar Abdullah who was against the installation of electricity meters in Kashmir.
Now the same Omar Abdullah has done a U-turn on the issue.
During the election campaign he said the BJP wants to install electricity meters and he was against it. And today, he is telling Kashmiris if you want electricity you've got to install meters, which is the BJP's line.
Omar Abdullah has become the mouthpiece of the BJP.
Is that the only issue?
Whatever happened in Kashmir after Article 370's abrogation, Omar Abdullah did not use strong words of condemnation in the Jammu Kashmir assembly but only expressed the word 'concerned' in his speech.
He also mentioned only the statehood of Jammu and Kashmir but never said anything about Ladakh which was a part of Jammu and Kashmir.
It looks like he has excluded Ladakh and in future does not want it to be a part of Jammu and Kashmir, which it was before August 5, 2019.
Are the people of Jammu and Kashmir aware of this?
They had given sole responsibility to the National Conference as they saw that this party had no transaction with the BJP. They felt it could save them from the onslaught of the BJP.
But once Omar Abdullah became CM, he has become an extension of the BJP.
His party MP from Srinagar, Aga Ruhullah Mehdi, protested against him outside his house.
This was a story sponsored by the BJP. You can call it division of labour.
One member of the party has been assigned to do drama on the streets against Omar Abdullah and the chief minister is condemning his stance.
This is just to confuse the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
But he protested outside the CM's house!
That is exactly what the BJP wanted to do. They want to confuse the people of Kashmir.
Why is the government of Jammu and Kashmir then not halting the recruiting process in government appointments?
Today, there are vacancies in the health department of Jammu and Kashmir which is as per the reservation policy.
This entire protest drama against Omar Abdullah is a story scripted by bureaucrats from Delhi in Kashmir who are giving tasks to each and every leader of the National Conference.
In the future, all of them are going to get exposed.
Do you mean to say that there is no rift between Aga Mehdi and Omar Abdullah?
No rift. It is only a division of labour to confuse the public.
What is this issue of reservations? Why is there a rift between Aga Mehdi and Omar Abdullah even if one wants to believe it is only street drama?
The aim of reservation is to give equality to every member of society. But what the BJP did was to give political reservations.
This was to appease certain communities at the cost of another community. (The new quota system gives minority tribes 60 percent of the seats while the majority population will be entitled to the remaining 40 percent.)
Whenever there is a job opening in the government of Jammu and Kashmir only a handful of people from the general category get jobs. This entire reservation in Jammu and Kashmir was done by the BJP with a political objective.
The rest of India follows a reservation policy so why not in Jammu and Kashmir?
Reservation must not be for one community at the cost of another community. There has to be rationalisation of reservation, but what the BJP has done is they have given political reservation (external link) just to get votes from the community whom they have given reservations to.
What is the mood in Jammu and Kashmir on the restoration of Article 370?
Omar Abdullah fooled the people of Jammu Kashmir. He was going on stating that if his party came to power then Article 370 will be restored. Nothing of that sort happened.
Srinagar MP Mehdi had stated he will get 100 MPs to support his resolution on Jammu and Kashmir and bring back Article 370.
The NC has not even introduced a bill to restore Article 370 in Parliament. They are just doing politics in the name of Article 370.
Omar Abdullah has failed the people of Kashmir. His party leaders in Parliament are not highlighting the pain and agony which people of Kashmir went through when Article 370 was scrapped.
His member of Parliament is more interested in highlighting issues which are happening in Uttar Pradesh and Tamil Nadu rather than what is happening in Jammu and Kashmir.
I have not seen any parliamentarian from Kashmir presenting a bill on Article 370. Omar Abdullah has surrendered to the BJP.
NC has a habit of coming to power at any cost. They got themselves rehabilitated after a gap of 10 years. Now, NC leaders are enjoying the perks and once the election comes they will again start raking up emotional and sentimental issues to grab the people's attention.
Omar Abdullah has become an extension of the lieutenant governor's administration. He fooled the people before elections by stating he will give 200 units of electricity and 12 gas cylinders free to every household. Now, he is taking a U-turn by stating that his government is a controlled dual government (which is run by Lieutenant Governor Manoj Sinha).
Is it not good for Jammu and Kashmir if the L-G and Omar Abdullah work in harmony unlike in Delhi the chief minister is in constant confrontation with the L-G?
There is a difference. Kejriwal wants to do good for the people of Delhi, therefore he confronts the L-G all the time.
Omar Abdullah and his cronies have only one mission and that is to stay in power. And to sit on this chair Omar will go to any extent required, even if it means to have friendly relations with the BJP.
He is doing shawl diplomacy with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and extending his hand of friendship.
The NC represents Delhi as a monster to the people of Kashmir and then goes and sits in the lap of the same monster.
In election speeches Omar ridiculed Prime Minister Modi and after winning he is heaping praise on him.
He said in his speech when Modi was sitting next to him that whatever development of Kashmir is needed will be done by PM Modi.
Is it not important for the benefit of Jammu and Kashmir?
If that is the case, why didn't he say in election speeches that he needs to go hand in hand with the BJP for the betterment of Jammu and Kashmir?
Omar Abdullah presented Delhi as a villain in front of the people of Jammu Kashmir before elections and now is shaking hands with them.
© 2025