Srinagar, April 12:
National Conference (NC) vice president Omar Abdullah Friday challenged the BJP to contest Lok Sabha polls in the Kashmir Valley, saying he will quit politics if the national party’s candidates do not lose their security deposits.
If the BJP was confident of its claims on “development and normalcy”, then the party should field its candidates in the three seats in the Kashmir Valley, Abdullah told reporters at a press conference here.
At the press conference, the party announced that Abdullah would be the party’s Lok Sabha candidate from Baramulla and Shia leader Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi would contest from Srinagar.
When asked about the BJP’s charge that the NC, PDP and Congress had done no good work in Jammu and Kashmir, Abdullah said, “I don’t think I need to react. Let the people do that. If what the Prime Minister says has so much power, then let them field BJP candidates and seek votes in the name of the BJP.”
Referring to the reported meeting between BJP general secretary and in-charge J-K Tarun Chugh and Apni Party chief Altaf Bukhari here, he said, “What was the need for Tarun Chugh to bring all of these on one stage to defeat us?
“If we have done nothing, people will not accept us. If the people would not accept us, then why are you taking our names in your speeches regularly? In that case, why are you using your agencies against us?” he said.
Abdullah said the was strong everywhere and therefore, his fight is not against any individual in north Kashmir or in any other part of J&K.
