JAMMU: National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah lashed out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), stating that the party “doesn’t know how to do politics without lying or cheating.” Speaking to the media while campaigning for the third phase of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly polls on Friday, the candidate from the Budgam and Ganderbal constituencies said that the BJP had done nothing for the past 10 years for the union territory and alleged that they are trying to cheat people into voting them for them either in the name of religion, terror, or familism. “The BJP doesn’t know how to do politics without lying and cheating. They have nothing to say about the last 10 years; therefore, they are trying to cheat people. In the name of either religion, terror, or familism. They are doing all this because they haven’t done anything for Jammu and Kashmir,” he said. Abdullah further called upon the party and questioned, “Why aren’t they removing Article 371?” Under Article 371, which is part XXI of the Indian Constitution, certain states are granted certain temporary, transitional and special powers. Currently, 12 states, including Goa, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, Nagaland, Assam, Manipur, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Sikkim, and Karnataka, have been granted power through this article, which varies from state to state. He further questioned the BJP on why they aren’t removing Article 371 from the state where they are being implemented as they did with Article 370 for Jammu and Kashmir. “As they said everything will be fine in time, why can’t they just remove 371 from the states where they are being implemented? As they did to Jammu and Kashmir to make the state equal, then they should also do it for states where 371 is being implemented. Why aren’t they doing that? Is equality only for Jammu and Kashmir? The other states also deserve to be equal… It is good that JP Nadda said in time this will also be done; then I would also like to hear from the Prime Minister when the other states will also be given equal states,” Abdullah added. Earlier, he hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party-led centre government over the terror incidents in the Jammu region and also questioned who is responsible for the militancy in the region after 2014. Meanwhile, Union Minister JP Nadda hit back at the NC Vice President over his statement blaming the central government for ‘lower voter turnout’ in the second phase of the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections. Nadda denied Omar Abdullah’s claim and said that “he is bad in mathematics”. Speaking at a press conference, JP Nadda said, “If one wants to see the poll percentage, it used to be 6 to 8 per cent but today it is 58 to 60 per cent. If he was bad in mathematics, what could I do? There was 60 per cent voting in the first phase and 58 per cent in the second phase.” Jammu and Kashmir is voting for its 90-member assembly in three phases. The first and second phases of voting took place on September 18 and 25, respectively. The third and final phase of voting will take place on October 1, while the counting of votes will be held on October 8.
