Omar Abdullah joins Bharat Jodo Yatra from Banihal

BANIHAL: National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Friday joined the Bharat Jodo Yatra here, saying the Rahul Gandhi-led march is not being carried out for the image makeover of the Congress leader but to change the situation and atmosphere of the country.

The former J&K chief minister said he does not want to delve into the Congress’s stand on the revocation of the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.

“The Bharat Jodo Yatra is not aimed at improving the image of Rahul Gandhi but for improving the situation in the country,” the NC leader told reporters upon his arrival in this highway town, 120 kilometres from Srinagar.

Abdullah said he joined the yatra as he was more concerned about the image of the country.

“We have not joined this for the image of an individual but for the image of the county,” he said.

The NC leader said Gandhi did not start the yatra for personal reasons but due to his concern over the attempts to create communal tensions and target minorities in the country.

“This government might be making friends with Arab countries but the fact remains that there is no representative in this government from the largest minority of the country,” he said.

“It might be for the first time since Independence that the ruling party does not have a single member of parliament — either in Lok Sabha or Rajya Sabha — from the Muslim community. It shows their attitude,” he added.

Speaking on the Congress’s stand on the abrogation of Article 370, Abdullah said, “We will fight the case for the restoration of Article 370 in the court. The way the government is dragging its feet on the hearing of the petition tells us that our case is very strong.”