New Delhi: Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit in New Delhi on Saturday, delivered a blistering critique of the INDIA bloc, describing it as fractured, indecisive, and incapable of mounting a serious challenge to the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance.
He warned that the alliance, once touted as a united front, is now “on life support,” crippled by infighting and a lack of cohesion. Abdullah argued that the Opposition has squandered opportunities to present itself as a credible alternative, pointing to Bihar as a glaring example of self-sabotage.
“Either we are a bloc, in which decisions should be taken together… Look at the Bihar polls, you pushed one constituent out. Hypothetically, if the JMM were to up and leave, who is to blame?” he asked, laying bare the alliance’s inability to hold itself together.
In sharp contrast, Abdullah praised the BJP’s relentless work ethic, noting that the party fights elections “as if its life depends on them.” He dismissed allegations of vote theft and claims of electronic voting machine tampering, instead highlighting that manipulation is more likely to occur through redrawing constituencies and altering voter lists.
His remarks underscored the INDIA bloc’s tendency to deflect blame rather than confront its own weaknesses.
Turning to Kashmir, Abdullah reiterated that stereotyping Kashmiri Muslims after terror attacks is unjust and dangerous. “Not all Kashmiri Muslims are terrorists; not all of them support terrorism. In fact, they are a minuscule minority that do,” he said, stressing that Kashmiris share the nation’s grief when violence strikes, whether in Delhi or Pahalgam.
Yet even as he defended Kashmiris against unfair generalisations, Abdullah’s broader message was unflinching: the Opposition cannot hope to counter the BJP’s election machine unless it abandons petty squabbles and embraces discipline. His words painted a stark picture of a coalition adrift, unable to match the BJP’s organisational might or strategic clarity.
By exposing the INDIA bloc’s fragility, Abdullah positioned himself as a voice demanding accountability within the Opposition, while simultaneously urging the nation to view Kashmiris beyond the prism of militancy. His intervention was both a rebuke and a reality check—an insistence that without unity, the INDIA bloc remains a hollow front against a formidable adversary.
(IANS)
