‘Focused on only one paragraph’: Omar Abdullah to Shah on NC’s J&K manifesto

National Conference (NC) party vice president Omar Abdullah criticised Union Home Minister Amit Shah for “focusing on only one paragraph of his party’s manifesto” for the upcoming Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) assembly elections. The former J&K chief minister also said that Shah’s statement ensured that the people read NC’s manifesto.
“I thank the Union Home Minister for mentioning our election manifesto. He has forced everyone to read it. The sad part is that he focused on only one paragraph,” Abdullah said.
Attacking the Congress for its alliance with NC, Shah questioned whether the party and Rahul Gandhi supported NC’s promise of “a separate flag for Jammu and Kashmir.” He also asked if the Congress supports NC’s decision to restore “special status” for J&K via Article 370 and 35A. Shah alleged that such moves would “push Jammu and Kashmir back into an era of unrest and terrorism.”
The NC had also promised to engage in dialogue with Pakistan to solve the Kashmir dispute. The home minister further asked the Congress if it supports such a move, rather than engaging in dialogue with Kashmir’s youth.
On NC’s promise to resume cross-border LoC trade with Pakistan, Shah alleged that such moves would “nurture terrorism and its ecosystem across the border.”
Abdullah said that he heard that Jamat-e-Islami, a politico-religious body based in the Valley, will contest the elections independently. “The best of democracy is that anyone can contest elections. Jamaat-e-Islami was trying to get the ban on it, uplifted, to contest the elections. Now that the ban has not been lifted, I have heard they will contest the elections independently,” he said.
Under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, the Union government banned the organisation for five years.
The National Conference has sealed the alliance with the Congress to contest all 90 seats in the upcoming J&K assembly elections. 
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and leader of opposition in Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi had met the Abdullahs in Srinagar recently to confirm their alliance. Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir are scheduled to take place in three phases on September 18, 25, and October 1, and counting of votes will take place on October 4.
(With inputs from ANI)