BJP defends Modi, challenges Omar for debate on Article 370

State unit of BJP today slammed Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah for criticising Narendra Modi over his remark on Article 370 and challenged him to hold a debate over the issue with any BJP leader.

"We accept his (Omar) challenge to hold a debate on Article 370. He must come forward to hold the debate with any BJP leader," state BJP president and MLA Jugal Kishore Sharma told reporters here today.

Omar had yesterday taken a dig at Modi for his comment to hold a debate over Article 370, saying, "I challenge him or any of his minions to reproduce verbatim the section of Article 370 that determines the J-K state subject law."

Omar wrote on his twitter account that he wondered if Modi was actually aware of the provisions of Article 370 of Constitution, which gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir. Omar also said Modi was either badly informed or economical with the truth.

"Omar is trying to distort facts to mislead and hoodwink the general masses," Sharma said.

The BJP leader claimed that both Congress and NC had "misused" Article 370 to deprive the people of the state of their fundamental rights and promote communalism, separatism and politics of regional discrimination.

Sharma also debunked Omar's attack on Modi that he made a false statement that under Article 370, women in the state did not have the same rights as men. He said the Chief Minister was "blissfully ignorant" of the role played by BJP to ensure gender equality.