Raipur, September 8: The Bharatiya Janata Party heightened its attack against National Conference leader Omar Abdullah over his remarks on the execution of 2001 Parliament attack convict Afzal Guru, accusing him of having a "separatist mentality." In a recent interview with ANI, Abdullah said that he did not believe any purpose was served by "executing" Afzal Guru.

Chhattisgarh Deputy Chief Minister Arun Sao said on Sunday, that the remarks of the NC leader reflect his "separatist mentality." "This statement of Omar Abdullah reflects his separatist mentality. His manifesto also points towards this. It is very unfortunate that Omar Abdullah is talking about a separatist mentality. The Congress party will also have to clarify whether they agree with these statements of Omar Abdullah," Chhattisgarh Deputy CM told ANI. Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections 2024: NC Leader Omar Abdullah Files Nomination for 2nd Assembly Seat From Budgam, Will Also Contest Ganderbal.

Bharatiya Janata party leader Ravi Shankar Prasad also attacked the Congress party over its 'silence' over Abdullah's remarks. "Who was Afzal Guru? Was he involved in terrorist activities or not? Were innocent people killed or not?. Why is the Congress party silent on it?. I want to tell Congress that Kashmir has changed. Tricolour flutters at Lal Chowk. There is development in J-K. The public knows that they were looted in the name of terrorism," the BJP leader said.

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) spokesperson Rachna Reddy also attacked National Conference vice president Omar Abdullah and said that such "separatist and seditious elements" should be dismantled and rooted out of the Indian electoral politics. Drawing a sharp criticism to NC Vice Chief Omar Abdullah's statement on Afzal Guru's execution, Rachna Reddy said, "How dare you support seditious elements and separatist agendas....How dare you question the Supreme Court?"

"It is for the people of Jammu and Kashmir to make a decision today to completely dismantle such separatist and seditious elements and to completely root them out of Indian electoral politics. Don't give them power. This is your country," the BJP leader added. Earlier in the day, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh criticised Omar Abdullah's remarks and asked whether the separatist leader should have been garlanded publicly. Jammu and Kashmir Assembly Elections 2024: Amit Shah Says Only Centre Can Ensure Statehood Restoration, Dismisses Opposition's Autonomy Plank.

"I heard that National Conference leader Omar Abdullah Sahab said that Afzal Guru should not have been hanged. I want to ask him that Afzal Guru should not have been hanged; should he have been garlanded publicly? And these people claim that they will restore Article 370," Singh said in a public meeting in Ramban. Abdullah has drawn ire ever since he made the remarks on the separatist leader's execution.

"The unfortunate thing was that the Jammu and Kashmir government had nothing to do with Afzal Guru's execution. Otherwise, you would have had to do it with the permission of the state government, which I can tell you in no uncertain terms would not have been forthcoming. We wouldn't have done it. I don't believe that any purpose was served by executing him," Abdullah had said.

Earlier on Saturday, BJP MP Sudhanshu Trivedi attcked Omar Abdullah and said his remarks were an "expose of their nefarious, nasty, separatist anti-national design." Trivedi also targeted the Congress, an alliance partner of the NC, in the upcoming Jammu and Kashmir Assembly election, saying that it "is showing their real nefarious design through proxy." BJP MP Manoj Tiwari also slammed Abdullah's remarks and said the National Conference leader had made remarks that are "anti-country" and against the verdict of the Supreme Court.

He also targeted Rahul Gandhi over the remarks and asked if the Congress leader agreed with such remarks of his ally in Jammu and Kashmir. BJP spokesperson Pradeep Bhandari on Saturday reacted to former JK CM Omar Abdullah's remarks on Afzal Guru and said that his statement reflects the mindset of the INDIA bloc, which is about backing the terrorists.

Meanwhile, the assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir are scheduled to be held in three phases on September 18, September 25 and October 1. The counting of votes will take place on October 8. These are the first assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir after the abrogation of Article 370. Omar Abdullah, who lost the Lok Sabha election from Baramulla, is contesting from two constituencies -- Ganderbal and Budgam. Congress and the National Conference are fighting the polls together as allies.

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