Narendra Modi fast's aftershocks felt in the Kashmir Valley

People’s Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti’s reported ‘praise’ for Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi has snowballed into a major controversy in Jammu and Kashmir.

Senior BJP leader Sushma Swaraj dropped a bombshell on Monday when she claimed that Mehbooba praised Modi during recent NIC meeting in Delhi.

“Even rivals like PDP’s Mehbooba Mufti have praised Modi in front of everyone at NIC meeting. A Muslim friend of Mehbooba wanted to invest in Gujarat and was surprised to be granted an appointment to meet Modi in half an hour”, Swaraj said in her speech during the last day of Modi’s sadbhavana fast.

The statement has raised a political storm in Jammu and Kashmir with chief minister Omar Abdullah leading the charge to lambast his arch political rival and the leader of opposition in the state assembly.
“I am not surprised Mehbooba praised Modi, she can praise whoever she likes; I am surprised she would deny it knowing others heard her speech”, Omar tweeted.

Mehbooba was quick to hit back at Swaraj saying she was misquoted and asked centre to release the text of her speech to clear the air.

“I don’t know why I was misquoted. I have now requested the centre to release text of my speech and let the people judge. And if it warrants a written request I would write a letter to centre asking for release of my speech text”, she said.

It, however, failed to convince Omar who advised Mehbooba to gracefully accept the fact rather denying it outrightly.