New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday expressed regret that BJP was making withdrawal of sedition charges against Kashmiri students in Meerut an election issue.

Participating in the two-day India Today conclave here, Omar argued that if youngsters from any other state would have cheered for Pakistan, it would not have been noticed. “But the fact is that these people are from Kashmir automatically changes the context,” he said.

Omar said the students “should not be confused about their identity but even if they are confused, it does not call for slapping of sedition charge. The university has taken administrative action against them. And it should have been allowed to rest there.”

The Chief Minister said his worry now was that the BJP was making it an election issue. “67 kids becoming pawn to what is turning out to be pretty messy election is pretty unfortunate,” he said.

He was referring to the recent incident where Kashmiri students were slapped with sedition charges for cheering for Pakistani cricket team during the recent match with India but the charges were later withdrawn by the UP government.

Omar also categorically rejected the idea of joining the NDA alliance after the general elections and made it clear that his party National Conference was an ally of NDA earlier only because of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.

“Our decision to join with NDA was only because of Vajpayee. We don’t see anybody in BJP today who is coming even close to what he was and therefore, the question of National Conference aligning with NDA simply does not arise.”

Talking about the general situation in the state, the Chief Minister said the situation in Jammu and Kashmir may not be normal but they are beginning to be a “lot closer to be normal”.

Asked what would be his message for young Kashmiris, Omar, 43, said “I want to take out the uncertainty in their lives. The fact that they have been brought up on the diet of uncertainty—uncertainty about the future of Kashmir, uncertainty about their own future.”

The Chief Minister said that slapping of sedition charges against the Kashmiri students in Meerut was “over-callous”.

“While what they did was misguided, I would go as far as saying that what they did was wrong. On one hand they are taking scholarship from the Indian Prime Minister and on the other hand cheering on like this.”

But having said that, the Chief Minister said cheering for a cricket team is not illegal. “It is this what makes this country great. I doubt whether something like this would be tolerated in our immediate neighbourhood. But it is the way we value our right to speech and if their free speech involved cheering another team so be it. I mean when our people go to Pakistan and Pakistani cheer Indian team we absolutely feel really great about it,” he said.

To a question whether he feared that if BJP government came to power it would abolish Article 370, Omar made it absolutely clear “they can’t touch Article 370 without the consent of the state….It is a convenient tool that they (BJP) use during election and even shy away from discussion.”

He referred to BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s speech in Jammu earlier this year where he had sought a discussion on the Article 370 to see whether it was beneficial or a burden on the state.

“…And no sooner I replied back that I am ready for a discussion, name the time and the place and I will be there, the answer from the other side came that he is too busy and anyway you (Omar) are not important enough.

“So if that be the case, then that shows how seriously they want to discuss the issue,” he said.

He rejected a suggestion that there was a “Modi wave” but said there was definitely some effect.

“A wave would be what you saw Rajiv Gandhi get after the assassination of Indira Gandhi, that is a wave and that is certainly not what Mr Narendra Modi is trying to get in this parliamentary elections.”

He said there was enthusiasm among BJP cadre that was translating into more sort of visible election activity on the part of the BJP from which he will probably benefit.

Omar said that the final results may not be good for UPA but things can turn around. “I wish I had a crystal ball but I don’t,” he said on the possible poll outcome.

Asked about the lessons learnt during his stint as the Chief Minister, Omar said that “everyday of this job, one learns” but the biggest lesson for him was that no problem is too small to be ignored.

He admitted that at the beginning of his term, he was slightly dismissive of some of the issues and said that the 2010 unrest was the “worst” period of his life.

“I soon learnt that those smaller problems can quickly accumulate into one grand problem…Such as the summer of 2010. That has been for me the worst period of my life I wouldn’t even say of my career.

“The summer of 2010 pretty much consumed me in every way possible. It did, it did change me. There is still a period of time that I have not gotten over. And I don’t ever feel that I will ever.

“It’s not easy to go through that time when you are overseeing administration…But fortunately the good times over that situation prevailed and we had a few good years after that,” Omar said and thanked the “good people” around him especially his father and Union Minister Farooq Abdullah who always guided him.

He said there were times in the state when a person, who left home in the morning, was not sure whether he or she will come back alive in the evening.

“The normalcy is returning. They are beginning to see a time which again I will say is not normal but we are a lot closer to be normal…. If one can remove that uncertainty from the youngsters that could be the biggest contribution one can make,” Omar said.

Asked whether there was a disconnect between the youth of the Valley and the government, he said there was no doubt about that. “As much as I try to believe that I can reach out to all youngsters in Kashmir, that’s not true.

“And obviously certain amount of introspection would be necessary if there is a character flaw on my part and if there is anything I can do to correct it.”

The Chief Minister said the priority for his government was also to bring Kashmiri Pandits back but for that the state would like New Delhi to work out a package in providing assistance to them for returning.

“It is an important part to getting them back. That is why we are doing what we have been doing in recent past. We have got about almost 2,000. It is very small relative number but it is an important first step.

“They are now working in the Valley. They are working in various departments. They are teachers, they are engineers, they are government servants. That is the important part to get them back,” Omar said.

Ahead of his interaction with people at the conclave, Omar, in his inaugural speech, maintained that he felt equally passionate about being a Kashmiri and an Indian.

“It’s necessary to stop asking people what their nationalistic credentials are. My father always used to say that he was an Indian and when it started to bug me, I asked why do you need to constantly need say that you are Indian and he replied that he was advised by former Governor of state B K Nehru who said that ‘Farooq if you stop reminding people that you are Indian, people will easily assume you are not’,” he said.

He said that he did not follow his father’s policy and “I am quite happy. People believe me what I am.”

Asked about his relations with his father, Omar said contrary to media perception, they have always been good

“We are two individuals. We are totally different. We are two different individuals and I have a pretty good relationship with him as it should be. He is not my best friend and I am not one of those who believe that parents and children could be best friends.”—PTI

KR Desk