Assam CM Sarma criticises Congress, urges support for BJP in upcoming by-elections
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma took aim at the Congress, accusing it of obstructing development and lacking commitment to public welfare.
Coming down heavily on former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister and National Conference leader Omar Abdullah for his remarks on the 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, the BJP accused him of promoting a separatist agenda.
Senior BJP leader Ravi Shankar Prasad questioned Abdullah’s stance on the matter, asking, “Who was Afzal Guru? Was he involved in terrorist activities, or not? Were innocent people killed or not?”
Prasad was also critical of Congress for its silence on the matter. “I want to tell Congress that Kashmir has changed. The Tricolour flutters at Lal Chowk, and there is development in J&K. The public knows they were looted in the name of terrorism.”
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Echoing similar sentiments, Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao said, “This statement of Omar Abdullah reflects his separatist mentality. His manifesto also points towards this. Unfortunately, Omar Abdullah is talking about a separatist mentality.”
He called on Congress to clarify its position, questioning whether the party agreed with Abdullah’s statements.
Referring to the Afzal Guru’s hanging, Abdullah said it served no purpose and that the Jammu & Kashmir government won’t have given permission if asked.
“The unfortunate thing was that the Jammu & Kashmir government had nothing to do with Afzal Guru’s execution. Otherwise, you would have had to do it with the permission of the state government, which I can tell you in no uncertain terms would not have been forthcoming. We wouldn’t have done it. I don’t believe that any purpose was served by executing him,” Abdullah said on Friday.
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