Baramulla | September, 16: Leader of Opposition Sunil Sharma launched a sharp attack on Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, calling him a “political SRO 43 beneficiary” and questioning his political standing without his family legacy. Addressing reporters, Sharma took a swipe at the Chief Minister, saying, “The Chief Minister considers himself a prince while I belong to a middle-class background. Why should he respond to my queries?” He further accused the Abdullah family of being power-hungry and alleged that the National Conference uses the statehood demand to mask governance failures. “The government should focus on issues affecting people instead of using Statehood as a shield against questions on governance,” Sharma asserted, adding, “Let them pave the way for us. We will show how to work. It is they who have the work, not us, as we are in the Opposition.”
Sharma expressed strong doubts over the brief duration of the upcoming legislative session, arguing that seven sittings are insufficient to address the grievances of all 90 constituencies. “If the Speaker puts his hand on his heart and assures that they can hear the issues of 90 constituencies in just seven sittings, I will consider myself a liar,” he stated. He also criticized the government’s stance on delayed local body elections, rising electricity costs, corruption, and the lingering grievances of NHM workers, daily wagers, and Anganwadi staff. Defending the BJP’s previous coalition with the PDP in 2014, Sharma stated it was born out of political necessity without compromising core ideals, though he reiterated that his party’s critical stance on PDP remains unchanged.
