No plan to drop Urdu language; exit polls will once again be proved wrong
Srinagar, May 01 : Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Friday accused the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of aiding the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in the Rajya Sabha. He claimed that the PDP is now raising the issue of Urdu merely to divert public attention from its role in helping the BJP.
Speaking to reporters, as per news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO), Omar alleged that the PDP supported the BJP in the Rajya Sabha polls.
“That is why they are saying Urdu, Urdu. They are showing something with one hand and doing something else with the other. They helped the BJP in the Rajya Sabha, they don’t want people to pay attention to this. They are talking about Urdu. I have already made it clear that there is no truth in their claims about Urdu. They will never refrain from this. They are internally helping them,” Omar said, when asked about recent disclosures regarding the RS polls through an RTI application.
The Chief Minister said past experiences show that exit polls often fail to reflect actual results.
“When elections were held in West Bengal, most exit polls favoured the BJP. What was the result? We don’t have to wait too long now—by Monday, the results will be out and these exit polls will once again be proved wrong,” he said.
He added that at least one pollster chose not to release findings as the projections were not to their liking.
On the controversy regarding the Urdu language, the Chief Minister denied any decision to drop it, saying the government had only invited public feedback on a proposal.
“There is a clear difference between seeking public comments and taking a final decision. The file proposing changes is still on my table and I have not approved it,” he said. “I challenge those spreading lies to show any order where Urdu has been dropped.”
Omar said he does not believe in pre-poll rigging through Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs), but warned of alleged manipulation through revision of voter lists.
“Today, the concern is not EVMs. The real issue is deletion of voters from electoral rolls. If this happens, it poses a serious challenge for democracy,” he said.
On rising prices, Omar said the increase in fuel costs is already impacting daily life and transport fares.
“When oil prices go up, everything else follows. People were already paying higher fares informally; now revisions have become unavoidable,” he said.
He added that ongoing conflicts are a major factor behind rising prices.
“This war should not have started. There is no justification for it. If global tensions ease, oil prices will come down and people will get relief,” he said—(KNO)
