Omar Abdullah reacts strongly to Modi's criticism

Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah Sunday reacted with a barrage of posts on microblogging social networking site Twitter to contest the criticism levelled against him and his government by Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi during his maiden public rally here Sunday.

Commenting on the 'facts' Modi put across at the public rally during his scathing criticism of Omar and his government, the chief minister said: "The BJP's PM candidate is either very badly informed or very economical with the truth. I'm not sure which one is worse though."

Modi said there needs to be a debate on whether article 370 of the Indian constitution was actually beneficial to the people of the state. He said it deprived women taking a spouse from outside the state of their domicile right.

Omar retorted in his comment on this: "I challenge him or any of his minions to reproduce verbatim the section of Art 370 that determines the Jammu and Kashmir state subject law."

Modi said under article 370 Omar's sister who is married to Sachin Pilot did not enjoy the same rights in the state as Omar did. To this, Omar replied: "He very conveniently used me and my sister as examples to illustrate a point that has no bearing in truth. Either he lies or is ill-informed."

Countering Modi's criticism on the state's failure to realise its tourist potential, the chief minister said: "And no, Modi, tourism isn't suffering and our tourists are not going to Himachal Pradesh. It's the reverse now but why should the facts bother you. 1.4 million tourists last year and we have crossed one million tourists this year into the valley alone. Modi needs pre-speech fact check."

Omar even posted a picture taken by a state-owned helicopter of Modi's rally venue at M.A. Stadium maintaining that the reported attendance at the rally was exaggerated.

"Taken at 1:50 p.m. today (Sunday) while the state chopper was flying to Srinagar. Anyone want to estimate crowd size? I put the photograph because it's a small stadium with lots of open space visible. Estimates range from 25,000 to 45,000. You decide."

Ending his barrage of posts against Modi, Omar said: "And finally women do not lose their domicile right by marrying non-state subjects regardless of the propaganda surrounding this issue."