Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s stone-pelting in Kashmir remark has invited criticism from National Conference leader and former Jammu and Kashmir CM Omar Abdullah on Sunday.
Addressing a rally in Kullu, Himachal Pradesh, Modi said jawans from Himachal Pradesh are targeted by stone-pelters in Kashmir.
Taking a dig at the PM, former J&K chief minister Omar tweeted: “On the campaign trail PM Modi highlighting the failure of his ally Mehbooba Mufti and her administration.”
Last year, then defence minister Manohar Parrikar had claimed that since the big currency ban, terror funding has come down to zero and there hasn't been stone-throwing on security forces in Kashmir
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"Earlier, there were rates - Rs. 500 for stone pelting (on security forces in Kashmir) and Rs. 1,000 for doing something else. PM has brought terror funding to zero," Parrikar said.
Modi also hit out at the Congress, saying it had "run away" from the Himachal Pradesh electoral battle, which he described as a contest being fought by the people of the state.
Campaigning for the third day in a row in the state that goes to the polls on November 9, he said the election was not being fought by his party, the BJP, but the people of the state who were out to "teach" a lesson to the Congress for corruption and poor law and order.
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"I am sad as I am not enjoying the election this time, as the Congress party has left the ground and run away. These elections have become one-sided," he said at a rally.
Attacking the Congress on the issue of corruption, Modi accused the previous Congress-led government at the Centre of abusing subsidies worth Rs 57,000 crore. He claimed he had stopped this misuse, and the money was now being used for the welfare of the poor.
"Never has there been a one-sided election as seen in this election. The reason for this is that the country knows what the Congress government is like and what its intentions are," he said.
In the last 20 years, Modi said, he had not seen an election like this.
"After being in politics for so long, I can sense which way the wind is blowing. But this time one can see a storm in Himachal. The anger of the public is coming out against corruption, bad law and order, for protection of women and daughters," Modi added.
(With PTI inputs)
