Modi govt first since 1996 unable to hold assembly polls in J-K on schedule: Omar

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah Friday hit out at Prime Minister Narendra Modi for taking credit for holding IPL tournament in the country while Lok Sabha elections were on claiming the BJP government at the Centre was the first not to hold assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir on time since 1996.

"Why is the Hon PM talking about IPL? His is the first government since 1996 that has been unable/unwilling to have assembly elections in J&K on schedule. Why doesn't he talk about that also?" Abdullah said in a tweet.

However, since 1967, the simultaneous polls never held in the state. Only in 1977, 1996, and 2014, they were held the same year, but even then not simultaneously.

The former chief minister was responding to Prime Minister's speech at Karauli in Rajasthan.

"The youth takes a lot of interest in IPL. But there were two occasions when it could not be played in India, it was played in South Africa. This happened in 2009 & 2014. The govt at the Centre was so scared of terrorists. That govt had no courage," Modi reportedly said.