National Conference leader Omar Abdullah and Bharatiya Janata Party leader Gautam Gambhir took jibes at each other on Tuesday over the former chief minister’s statement that Jammu and Kashmir should have a separate prime minister.
At an election rally in Bandipora on Monday, Abdullah had said that the state had appointed its prime minister and Sadar-i-Riyasat [head of the state] right after Independence. “By the grace of God, we shall bring back these posts,” he said. Jammu and Kashmir had its own prime minister and Sadar-i-Riyasat until 1965, when these posts were replaced by the chief minister and the governor.
Gambhir, who recently joined the BJP, mocked Abdullah for the statement. “Omar Abdullah wants a separate PM for J&K [and] I want to walk on oceans!” Gambhir tweeted on Tuesday. “Omar Abdullah wants a separate PM for J&K [and] I want pigs to fly! More than a separate PM Omar Abdullah needs some sleep followed by a strong coffee! If he still doesn’t understand then a green Pakistani passport,” Gambhir said.
Abdullah responded to Gambhir’s criticism, saying the cricketer was unaware of Jammu and Kashmir’s history. “Gautam, I never played much cricket because I knew I wasn’t very good at it,” Abdullah tweeted. “You don’t know very much about J&K, it’s history or the role of Jammu Kashmir National Conference in shaping that history yet you insist on displaying that ignorance for all to see. Stick to stuff you know about, tweet about the IPL.”
On Monday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi had also attacked Abdullah for his statement. At a rally in Hyderabad, Modi asked the Congress and the Opposition alliance to clarify their stance on Abdullah’s statement.
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