Jammu, Jul 12: Going all guns blazing on J&K BJP leaders, the Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Sunday asked them why they were conspiring to “prove the Prime Minister a liar” by opposing and criticising the NC’s efforts, its movement for restoration of statehood.

“They take dig at us that we’ve failed in fulfilling our promise. But they don’t remember their promises. Just to remind them – the Prime Minister, himself, at his Katra rally had made a statement while making a commitment vis-a-vis restoration of statehood to J&K. He (PM) had said – It was not an ordinary commitment. Yeh Modi Ka Waada Hai (This is Modi’s promise). I ask J&K BJP leaders why they are conspiring hard to prove their own Prime Minister a liar. Why?” CM Omar threw a poser while addressing party’s significant rally at Maharaja Hari Singh Park in Jammu. 

“You may try to prove Farooq Sahib, me, Deputy Chief Ministet or any other NC leader or MLA a liar, we will have no objection. But today you (J&K BJP leaders) are trying to prove PM a liar, I fail to comprehend logic behind it. After all, the Prime Minister’s words should have a weightage and should be respected. But when we ask about this commitment- we get only one reply i.e., it will be restored at an appropriate time,” he stated.

Aiming another barb, CM Omar asked if that appropriate time was when BJP would come to power. 

“If that’s the case, why it was not told to the Supreme Court, which had directed for its restoration as early as possible. They (BJP) can declare it in rally and convey it to the people of J&K that the statehood will be restored only if BJP comes to power. Then the J&K people may take a call to elect them to power or not. Since it has not happened, the people have not elected them, they are punishing them by depriving them of statehood,” he alleged. 

Dismissing the BJP’s claims that it was not conspiring to breakaway NC to gain power, the Chief Minister, while quoting examples from Maharashtra, West Bengal and AAP in Punjab, asked who would believe its (BJP’s) claims while the party, itself, was boasting about its ‘Operation Lotus.’

He reiterated the charge that the elected government was not being allowed to function and asked, “What was the need to conduct elections if J&K was to administer through Raj Bhawan?” 

“Why are Jammu people being punished although they gave 29 seats to BJP?” was his another poser. 

With regard to BJP’s criticism of NC’s invite to Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, CM Omar’s another dig was, “BJP’s top leadership says that they have ended terrorism and separatist ideology here in J&K. If there are no separatists here now, how can that individual be dubbed as separatist by them? Who is lying?” 

Aiming another barb at BJP, the Chief Minister asked, “If we won’t get statehood by pleading our cause in the union capital  before the country’s leadership, should we protest outside (US President) Trump’s residence to seek statehood?”

He said that the party adopted recourse to protest after its peaceful ways during last 18 months failed to achieve statehood despite promises. 

“We even accepted delimitation which was aimed at benefitting only BJP and its allies. Our gentlemanliness should not be exploited and silence should not be treated as weakness. We cannot wait more,” CM Omar declared.

The objective of rally, in the words of the Chief Minister, was to “seek permission of people to allow them as their representatives to go to (New) Delhi on July 20 to seek restoration of statehood to J&K.”

“I’ve come all the way from Srinagar to Jammu to seek this permission. As I started very early morning to reach Jammu, I saw many people on their way to be part of this rally. Rest assured, the trust – you have reposed in us, will never be broken. You will not be betrayed and we will fulfill all promises made to you,” CM assured.

Banihal, Jul 12: The eleventh batch of pilgrims undertaking the annual Amarnath Yatra left the Bhagwati Nagar Yatri Niwas in Jammu during the early hours of Sunday amid stringent security arrangements, with more than 9,100 devotees proceeding towards the twin base camps of Baltal and Pahalgam.

According to officials, a total of 9,153 pilgrims departed in a convoy of 359 vehicles. Of them, 3,429 pilgrims were headed for the shorter Baltal route in 149 vehicles, while 5,724 pilgrims left for the traditional Pahalgam route in 210 vehicles.

The batch comprised 6,522 men, 2,233 women, 18 children, 267 sadhus, 112 sadhvis, and one sadhu child. No foreign pilgrims or transgender pilgrims were part of Sunday’s convoy, officials said.

The convoy was escorted under a multi-layer security grid by personnel of the Jammu and Kashmir Police, CRPF, and other security agencies. Separate escort teams accompanied both the Baltal- and Pahalgam-bound convoys to ensure the safe movement of pilgrims along the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway.

Officials said the Baltal-bound convoy had reached Banihal by the morning, while the Pahalgam-bound convoy halted at the Chanderkote Yatri Langar in Ramban for breakfast before continuing its journey towards the Kashmir Valley under tight security and regulated traffic arrangements.

With the departure of the eleventh batch, the cumulative number of pilgrims who have left Jammu for the ongoing pilgrimage has reached 79,947, reflecting the smooth and steady progress of this year’s annual pilgrimage to the holy cave shrine in the Himalayas.