Kashmir Impulse Desk

Srinagar, May 2 

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday accused the People’s Democratic Party of helping the Bharatiya Janata Party in Rajya Sabha elections and alleged that the party was raising the Urdu language issue to divert public attention from its political role.

Speaking to reporters, Abdullah claimed the PDP had supported the BJP during the Rajya Sabha polls and was now attempting to shift focus by creating controversy around Urdu.

“They helped the BJP in the Rajya Sabha. They don’t want people to pay attention to this,” Abdullah said. “They are talking about Urdu. I have already made it clear that there is no truth in their claims about Urdu.”

The CM alleged that the PDP was “internally helping” the BJP while publicly taking a different stand.

His remarks came in response to questions regarding disclosures related to the Rajya Sabha elections made through a Right to Information application.

On the controversy surrounding Urdu, Abdullah denied allegations that the government had decided to remove the language from official use, saying only public feedback had been sought on a proposal.

“There is a clear difference between seeking public comments and taking a final decision,” he said. “The file proposing changes is still on my table and I have not approved it.”

He challenged critics to produce any official order showing Urdu had been dropped.

Commenting on election-related concerns, Abdullah said he did not subscribe to allegations of manipulation through Electronic Voting Machines but expressed concern over revisions to electoral rolls.

“Today, the concern is not EVMs. The real issue is deletion of voters from electoral rolls,” he said, warning that such actions could pose a challenge to democracy.

Abdullah also spoke about rising fuel prices and their impact on transport costs and daily life.

“When oil prices go up, everything else follows,” he said, adding that global conflicts were contributing to inflationary pressures.

 “This war should not have started. If global tensions ease, oil prices will come down and people will get relief,” he said.