Ramban (J&K): Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah today hit back at Congress for its statment on “neglect” of backward areas in the state, saying the party should scan its functioning rather than finding faults with National Conference.
“Instead of finding faults with others you (Congress leaders) should scan your own functioning,” Omar said. “Tell me if you see damage in J&K due to NC what happened to you in rest of the country. It was not National Conference there,” Omar said.
In a veiled attack on Omar Abdullah government, senior Congress leader Gulam Nabi Azad had yesterday said that there was “utter neglect” of remote and backward areas in J&K since 2008.
“There is utter neglect and deprivation that the remote and backward areas like Gurez, Tangdhar and Lolab suffered till 2006. A concerted effort to develop these areas during my tenure as CM was made. However, the same script of neglect is being repeated since 2008,” Azad had said at public meetings in Gurez.
Azad served as the Chief Minister of Jammu and Kashmir from 2006 to 2008 before being succeeded by Omar Abdullah, who came to power as the head of a coalition government of National Conference and Congress.
Taking a dig at Congress leaders, Omar said, “You cannot hunt with hound and run with hare.” He said when NC was campaigning for Congress candidates in Parliament elections, Congress saw everything good in it, now when the two parties were fighting elections separately, it is finding all faults in NC.
Showering praises over party's Ramban candidate Chaman Lal Bhagat, Omar said he is an “honest” and “hardworking” person whose only aim is “to serve” his people sincerely.
Speaking on the occasion, Provincial President of the party in Jammu Devender Singh Rana asked people not to believe “propagandist” elements and extend their support to National Conference to ensure largescale development in all areas, particularly the hilly, backward and remote regions.
