Mon Jan 13 17:46:19 UTC 2025: ## Kashmir Opposition Slams Chief Minister’s Speech During Modi’s Visit

**Srinagar, January 14, 2025** – Opposition parties in Jammu and Kashmir sharply criticized Chief Minister Omar Abdullah’s speech during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent visit to the region. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the J&K Peoples Conference (JKPC) accused Abdullah of prioritizing appeasement over addressing crucial issues facing the state.

PDP president and former Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti contrasted Abdullah’s focus on favorable weather conditions during Modi’s visit with the BJP’s then-Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s 2003 engagement with Mufti’s PDP despite its smaller size. Mufti highlighted the perceived betrayal of the party’s mandate after the revocation of Article 370.

Pulwama MLA Waheed-ur-Rehman Parra, also of the PDP, called Abdullah’s speech sycophantic, accusing him of ignoring key issues such as the demand for restoration of Article 370, the imprisonment of youth, and the loss of special status. Parra claimed the speech fostered a sense of defeat and hopelessness among the people.

JKPC president Sajad Lone sarcastically highlighted Abdullah’s positive demeanor during the Prime Minister’s visit, seemingly contradicting his previous assertions that all other parties were aligned with the BJP.

The criticism underscores the deep divisions within Jammu and Kashmir’s political landscape and highlights ongoing tensions regarding the region’s special status and the aftermath of the 2019 constitutional changes.

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