“NC sought allaince with BJP, agreed to have Hindu CM in J&K”
Jammu, Sept 03: Launching fresh salvo against the National Conference, senior BJP leader Devender Singh Rana on Tuesday claimed that the National Conference (NC), under the leadership of Omar Abdullah, sought an alliance with the BJP in 2014, but their efforts were rebuffed by top BJP leaders, including Home Minister Amit Shah.
Addressing a press conference in Jammu, Rana alleged that a delegation led by Omar Abdullah, of which he was also a part, approached BJP leaders in Delhi in 2014, “with a begging bowl,” to forge an alliance. However, the attempt was dismissed by the BJP, leaving the NC delegation “empty-handed.”
“I am surprised to see Omar Abdullah accusing BJP leader Ram Madhav of having connections with the PDP. The truth is that in 2014, Omar himself led a delegation to Delhi to beg for an alliance with the BJP,” Rana asserted.
Rana went on to reveal that the NC was even willing to accept a BJP (Hindu) Chief Minister in Jammu and Kashmir, despite having only 15 MLAs at the time. “I know the person who was to be made BJP CM but won’t name him at this point in time,” he added.
The BJP leader lashed out at the National Conference, accusing the party of playing “politics of deceit” and demonizing the people of Kashmir. He particularly criticized the NC for their alleged plans to change the name of Shankaracharya Hill, a move that Rana vowed the BJP would never allow. “Till BJP is there in J&K, no power can change the name of this hill,” he declared.
Rana also condemned the NC’s stance on releasing stone pelters from jail, accusing the party of forgetting the violent unrest that rocked Kashmir in 2008 and 2010. “These were the people behind the dance of death on the streets of Kashmir, and now the NC wants to set them free,” he said.
In a scathing attack on Omar Abdullah, Rana suggested that the NC leader’s current criticism of the BJP is hypocritical, given his past proximity to the party. “It seems Omar has forgotten he grew up in the political lap of the BJP,” Rana remarked. He further speculated that the NC might be willing to end its pre-poll alliance with the Congress to forge a new alliance with the BJP, citing Dr. Farooq Abdullah’s unpredictable political behavior.
“The fact remains that NC doesn’t feel happy over the peace and development taking place in J&K. We will not allow the situation to go back to what it was in 2010 and 2008,” Rana concluded, signaling the BJP’s firm stance against any regression in the region’s stability.
