National Conference Vice-President Omar Abdullah on Tuesday asserted that the opposition INDIA alliance is gaining strength with each passing day.
He expressed confidence that his party’s candidate, Aga Ruhulla, will emerge victorious in the Srinagar Parliamentary constituency, where polling was held yesterday.
“There is no doubt that the INDIA alliance is getting stronger day by day,” Omar told reporters in Uri, Baramulla. He claimed that the NC would also secure wins in the Anantnag and Ladakh Lok Sabha seats. The former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister said, “If we go by the reports of the polling held so far across the country, the trends seem favorable for the INDIA alliance.” “I am confident that on June 4, the government at the Centre will change, and the BJP will be ousted,” Omar declared, adding, “God willing, my assessment will prove accurate.” He criticized political leaders for spreading venom based on religion during the election campaign, stating that such divisive rhetoric creates tensions among communities, with lingering impacts even after the polls.
“Whoever becomes the Prime Minister of India should remember that they are not the PM of a particular religion,” Omar said, referring to Prime Minister Modi’s oft-repeated statement about representing 140 crore Indians during his foreign visits. When asked about Modi’s recent campaign trail on foot, Omar responded, “If Narendra Modi also walked, it would be a good thing, but perhaps it is because the INDIA alliance has received a positive response; I am unsure.” He contrasted Modi’s approach with Rahul Gandhi’s ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra,’ saying, “Rahul Gandhi did march on foot from Kanyakumari to Kashmir and Assam to Gujarat. If the Prime Minister comes down from his vehicle and walks some distance, he knows better. I cannot say.” On Ghulam Nabi Azad campaigning for jailed leader Er Rashid, Omar remarked, “Azad must have managed to obtain Delhi’s approval to campaign for Er Rashid, but it is certain that he (Azad) does not even leave his bedroom without Delhi’s permission.” Responding to a query about advocating for prisoners’ release, Omar said, “We do not advocate for the release of a single prisoner but rather for all those who are incarcerated outside and whose parents do not even have the financial means to visit them.”
