Srinagar: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday questioned opposition People's Democratic Party (PDP) petitioning the Election Commission over the video of state Social Welfare Minister Sakina Itoo seeking a religious pledge for support from a political worker.
"She (Itoo) isn't asking for votes or in anyway talking about elections/rival candidates. How is this then an election matter?" Omar wrote on microblogging site twitter.
The Chief Minister said the opposition party was in panic mode and trying to mislead the Election Commission over the issue.
"I know the PDP is in complete panic mode but using old videos and trying to mislead the EC about code violations is desperate beyond words," he said.
Omar said he has spoken to the minister and she has clarified that the incident took place before the Model Code of Conduct came into force on March 5.
"I've spoken to Sakina, this video was taken months before the election code. She isn't threatening anyone, she isn't abusing anyone.
"She is trying to convince an old worker of her father to come back & work for the party as he had been upset for a while," Omar said in a series of tweets on the issue.
The Chief Minister, however, said his National Conference will follow the directives that the EC might issue in the matter.
