Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Monday said that there are no plans for an alliance with the BJP at present and emphasised the National Conference’s commitment to its own political vision.
“We are not talking about any alliance (with the BJP); neither is there any scope nor the need. Our thoughts also do not align. If we talk about Jammu and Kashmir, our thoughts are vastly different. We will hold discussions on everything (during the session),” he said.
Addressing the assembly on the opening day of the budget session in Jammu, Omar Abdullah praised former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, highlighting his contributions to India’s economic growth and key welfare initiatives.
“Manmohan Singh ji was born in undivided India. He went to Oxford and Cambridge and started as an officer and finance minister and then PM. When he became finance minister, our country was going through an economic crisis. Today, we are one of the biggest economies.
The private sector is developing as licence raj was stopped. As PM, he took initiatives, such as the Indira Awas Yojana and MGNREGA,” Omar Abdullah said.
He recalled Manmohan Singh’s farewell press conference and said, “Manmohan, in his last press conference, said, ‘History will be a better judge of me than contemporary times’. All world leaders respected him.”
He recounted an incident showcasing the former PM’s humility, saying, “I remember I wrote to him (Manmohan) on some issue, and I gave an interview on that issue. But I didn’t mention the letter, there was an issue that protocol has been broken. He called me and said ‘This is not right; you addressed the issue in the press. I told him I have not done that... but after 15 minutes, he called back and apologised... He was the PM, didn’t need to do so.”
He said that former Pakistan President General Pervez Musharraf and Manmohan Singh had made significant progress in resolving the Kashmir issue.
Highlighting infrastructure projects initiated during Manmohan Singh’s tenure, Abdullah said, “Working groups were made, and for Kashmiri Pandits, jobs were created, and they went back to Kashmir. The Jagti township was made during his time for (Kashmiri Pandit migrants). Manmohan Singh started the Jammu-Srinagar National Highway. Today, we are waiting for the PM to inaugurate the train to Banihal. It was started by Manmohan Singh’s time, and he started the world’s highest railway bridge work.”
The Legislative Assembly of Jammu and Kashmir, which convened today for Budget Session, paid glowing tributes to former Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh, other former parliamentarians and legislators who passed away since the last session.