Former Chief Minister and National Conference (NC) leader Omar Abdullah, on Tuesday, termed as unfortunate the face-off between the armies of India and China in Arunachal Pradesh and said the two countries should work together to improve their relations.

Omar was talking to mediapersons on the sidelines of a party rally in south Kashmir’s Dooru.

Blaming the BJP government at the Centre for the hostile relations with neighbouring countries, he called it unfortunate that India has failed to build good relations with them.

As per reports, China has not completely withdrawn from Ladakh and now opened a new front in Arunachal Pradesh where the two forces got into a scuffle, he added.

”We are not able to build good relations with our neighbouring countries. Our relationship with Pakistan is already sour”.

Omar said it was BJP leader and Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee who had said that neighbours cannot be changed and it’s important to build relations with neighbouring countries.

”Vajpayee Sahab had said that friends can be changed, not neighbours. We cannot change our neighbours, but we can build a good relationship with them. Although it happens only when both countries want to build good relations with each other, it is also the responsibility of China to maintain a good relationship with our country,” said Omar.

Omar said the NC will repeal the controversial Public Safety Act (PSA) if it forms the government in the Union Territory after the Assembly elections. “They (BJP government) have only kept those old laws here which can be used to harass people. There is no PSA anywhere in the country, it is only in Jammu and Kashmir. I have said it earlier and I repeat when the National Conference government comes, on the first day, this law will be repealed”.

While the Centre did away with a large number of laws passed by the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly after the abrogation of Article 370 and reorganisation of Jammu and Kashmir in 2019, the PSA was one of the few laws that were retained.

Talking about the assembly elections, Omar said “It is obvious that this election will not be contested on the issues of electricity, roads and water. Abrogation of Article 370 will be the issue in the elections. Let’s see what the people’s verdict is”.

Omar, while talking about Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s Bharat Jodo Yatra, said that Farooq Abdullah will be receiving Rahul Gandhi at Lakhanpur, the gateway of Jammu and Kashmir from Punjab.

Earlier while addressing the party activists, Omar said Jammu and Kashmir’s natural resources, land and Jobs are being given to outsiders after abrogation of articles 370 and 35A. He said when they come into power after elections, they will pass laws to protect land, jobs and other natural resources for the people of Jammu and Kashmir only.