‘Today PM Modi’s brother, yesterday Pakistan general’s’: Omar Abdullah hits out at Sajad Lone

Naseer Ganai

Srinagar, May 7

Former J&K Chief Minister and NC vice-president Omar Abdullah today accused Peoples Conference leader Sajad Lone of being thick with the BJP for a long time.

Addressing people in Handwara, Omar targeted Lone throughout his 20-minute speech, accusing him of changing colours with changing times and declaring the Prime Minister of India his brother today and a Pakistani general before that. Both Lone and Omar are contesting from North Kashmir.

“As a voter, you have a responsibility to scrutinise the candidates contesting elections. You have to examine their track record and when you enter the polling booth, you should first consider who will represent you better,” Omar said.

“I am called a tourist. I am neither baffled nor angered by it. There is little difference between him and me. He lives in Srinagar, so do I. He comes to fight elections in Handwara. In his affidavit, he has mentioned his home residence in Srinagar. My constituency is within this parliamentary constituency. I have represented the Assembly from Beerwah, which is now in this parliamentary constituency,” Omar said, responding to Lone, who has been calling Omar a “tourist” since the announced to contest from north Kashmir’s Baramulla constituency.

“You claimed that the Prime Minister is your elder brother. As a younger brother, how did you use this relation? Here, the spree of arrests took place, youths were arrested and sent to jails outside the state. Did you try to stop it? We don’t change our stand like the direction of the wind as our opponents do, whose brother at times is the Indian Prime Minister and at times a Pakistani general,” Omar said.