Jammu: Former MLC and BJP spokesperson for J&K UT, Girdhari Lal Raina, on Tuesday accused the National Conference (NC) and its leader Omar Abdullah of resorting to their “old political tactic” of blaming New Delhi to cover up their own failures.
He said the “Centre Ki Chaal” narrative has been NC’s shield since 1947, used to divert public resentment whenever its misrule is exposed, and alleged that the party is once again staging the same “tired drama.”
Addressing a press conference along with Advocate Purnima Sharma, spokesperson of BJP JK-UT, Raina said the Jammu–Srinagar National Highway crisis is a telling example. While fruit growers and truckers lost crores and ordinary citizens remained stranded in misery, Omar Abdullah’s government stood paralyzed. Neither the Chief Minister nor his colleagues bothered to visit hotspots to understand the ground reality. When questioned, the Chief Minister first claimed he had no authority—yet he continues to cling to power without shame or accountability. And when anger mounted, he attempted to shift the blame to Delhi, hoping the people would once again be misled, Raina added.
Asserting that the people of Jammu and Kashmir are not blind and cannot be misled repeatedly, Raina said people appreciate the efforts of the NHAI in making the highway operational against all odds. They have seen with their own eyes how NHAI teams, under the direct guidance of Union Minister Shri Nitin Gadkari, worked tirelessly round the clock in hostile weather and treacherous conditions. Over a dozen excavators and 50 earthmovers were pressed into service, a two-lane diversion was built, and traffic was restored. This is real action, not hollow rhetoric, he stressed.
In contrast, Omar Abdullah restricted himself to social media statements and hollow political posturing. He did not even have the courage to visit the affected areas, where people continue to suffer. His claim that “if the highway was under him, he would have opened it” has only exposed his hypocrisy. Citizens are rightly asking: If you cannot even clear the mud and debris on roads under your own UT government, how can you claim you would have restored a national highway? Raina questioned.
Taking a jibe at the Chief Minister, Raina further said, “On one hand, you cry no authority, no funds, no power; and on the other hand, you demonstrate sufficient power, authority, and resources for luxurious pleasure trips to Paris.”
Advocate Purnima Sharma added that even today, many hilly areas—especially in Jammu—remain cut off. Relief has reached people only because the Indian Army and IAF stepped in, not due to any effort from the Omar Abdullah-led administration.
“The fact is clear: the NC’s politics of deception is collapsing. Omar Abdullah cannot hide behind Delhi anymore. The people demand responsibility, accountability, and delivery—not diversion, blame games, and photo-ops,” she stressed.
Purnima Sharma also cited numerous examples of connecting and link roads in Jammu, the capital city, which are still awaiting administrative attention.
“The NC must realize that the old methods of fooling people are dead. What Jammu and Kashmir needs is leadership on the ground, not excuses on Twitter,” she concluded.
