| PM refrains from raising 370, CM forgoes AFSPA | | Omar, Modi in tacit understanding? | | Abodh Sharma
JAMMU, July 5: Chief Minister Omar Abdullah succeeded in depicting through his body language that he had huge ideological void with Prime Minister Narendra Modi when the latter arrived at his one day visit to the state the previous day, by staying away from him during the two public functions at Katra and Uri.
While Omar who was playing to the galleries in the Valley was noticed by all and sundry for not warming up to the Prime Minister, one thing that was not visible was the tacit understanding between the two leaders. Both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chief Minister Omar Abdullah refrained from raising issues on which two leaders were not on the same page. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who has a definite stand on Article 370 did not make a mention of it during his speech and Omar Abdullah who has been very vocal demanding at least partial revocation of AFSPA, did not make a mention of it in turn.
Issue of Article 370, which evokes instant reactions from Kashmiri leadership, was stirred up by MoS in PMO, Dr. Jitendra Singh, just a few days after NDA Government assumed charge and Prime Minister himself has been demanding a nationwide dialogue on the effects of the sensitive constitutional provision that gives J&K a special position in the union of India during his election campaigns. However, the Prime Minister, while promising to win hearts through development, avoided any mention of the article 370.
On the other hand, Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, who had been promising to the people of Kashmir at least partial revocation of the AFSPA before completing his term, did not make any mention of the same. Omar, who faces tough electoral battle in less than four months had been counting on the issue as his party's major poll plank, but with NDA government firmly in saddle at the centre, Omar's hopes of getting AFSPA withdrawn from at least some parts of the state are fading away.
In the given political scenario, Omar did what he could do best. By exhibiting a withdrawn body language bereft of any warmth, Omar was smartly addressing his vote bank in the valley, that he was ideologically opposed to PM Modi, while PDP had been warming up to him.
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