BJP Government Failed To Fight Militancy In J&K, says Omar Abdullah In Reaction to Amit Shah's Remarks

Union Home Minister Amit Shah had accused the National Conference-Congress alliance of “revival of terrorism” in Jammu and Kashmir. He was addressing a BJP rally in Jammu. In response, NC Vice President Omar Abdullah said that the main issue was that militancy got a new lease of life in Jammu under the BJP-led central government.

Shopian (Jammu and Kashmir): Former Chief Minister and National Conference (NC) Vice-President Omar Abdullah on Sunday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Central government has failed to fight the militancy in Jammu and Kashmir and that the Jammu region had seen a fresh revival of militancy under the current government.

Abdullah's statement came in response to Home Minister Amit Shah's charged speech at a BJP rally in Jammu where he alleged that the NC sought to "revive terrorism" in the region.

In response, the NC leader said, "If any organisation has made sacrifices against militancy, it is the JKNC. Thousands of our workers, MPs and MLAs sacrificed their lives in Jammu & Kashmir."

He also defended his party's record in handling the militancy during his tenure as the Chief Minister. "I feel very sad when the Union Home Minister makes such kind of statements... distorting the reality is a bad thing," he told reporters in response to queries. He added that under his six-year government, militancy had decreased and urged Shah to compare it with the last five years, where, he claimed, militancy had consistently increased.

Know Amit Shah's Remarks About NC-Congress

On Saturday, Amit Shah accused the NC and Congress of being soft on terrorism and allegedly trying to push for the release of "stone-pelters and terrorists" from jails. He also warned that the return of the two parties to power would lead to a "revival of terrorism" in districts like Poonch, Rajouri and Doda.

“If NC-Congress returns to power, consider that as a revival of terrorism. Jammu and Kashmir, especially Jammu has to decide whether they want terrorism or peace and development,” Shah said. "When the Modi government took over (in 2014), it spelt destruction for those funding terrorism by sending them to jails. They are talking about starting suspended LoC trade, the dividends of which go to terrorism," he added.