'BJP will extend central rule if...': Omar Abdullah blasts Engineer Rashid for saying 'no govt until statehood'

Ahead of the counting of votes, National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah on Monday claimed that the BJP would like nothing more than to extend central rule in J&K if it is not in a position to form a government in the Union Territory. He alleged that Awami Ittehad Party chief and MP Engineer Rashid was acting at the behest of the BJP.   
 
"The man goes to Delhi for 24 hours and comes back to play straight into the hands of the BJP. The BJP would like nothing more than to extend central rule in J&K if they aren't in a position to form a government," Abdullah said in a tweet. The NC leader was replying to Engineer Rashid, who today urged other parties to not form government until the statehood is restored. 

Rashid said whatever the government that will be formed will be the government of the Union Territory. "The elected government will have very few rights. The so-called regional parties of J&K (Gupkar alliance) didn't do anything for five years. I urge the INDIA bloc, PDP, Apni party and other parties to unite and not form the government till we achieve statehood." 

"Even if a single party or alliance achieves a majority, it will be good if all the parties put pressure on the Union government to restore statehood. Awami Ittehad Party is also ready to cooperate with the parties on this matter," he added. 

Earlier today, NC chief Farooq Abdullah said his party was open to the idea of taking support of Mehbooba Mufti's PDP to form government in the Union Territory. Abdullah, while ruling himself out of the race for chief minister's post, said statehood should be restored to Jammu and Kashmir so that the new government has powers to address the people's problems. 

"The statehood should be restored, full statehood, where the government has the power to do things. I will not be the CM. Let this one thing be clear. I have done my chief minister's job. My problem will be how we make a strong government and how we fulfil the agenda that we have put before the people," he added. 

Asked if the NC-Congress alliance will take support from the PDP, Abdullah said "why not?" "How does it matter? If we all work for the same thing, for improvement in the conditions of people of the state, removing unemployment, removing all the distress that have occurred in the last 10 years. First thing we should do is restore the freedom of the press. We should have the right to say what is true and what is not true. We can be rivals in elections but I have no objections and I am sure Congress will have no objections," he said. 

PDP's Iltija Mufti, however, said that her party's senior leadership will take a call on extending support to a secular front only once the results are out.