File photo of Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah
Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah has said he will not stop opposing
Narendra Modi, the BJP's prime ministerial candidate, even if that means having to take a bus to Pakistan.
Mr Abdullah was making a sardonic reference to a speech made by Giriraj Singh, a BJP candidate in Bihar, who made national headlines last week by saying "Narendra Modi's critics should go to Pakistan." (
Read: Remarks on Muslims by Pravin Togadia, VHP, trigger new controversy)
"Well, I'm glad he's given us this indication because God forbid when Modi becomes PM, I will find myself a seat on the Srinagar-Muzzafarabd bus and that's it. No, jokes apart, I think this shows an extreme level of intolerance that has never been seen before...I disagree with a whole lot of things that Mr Narendra Modi stands for but I don't think that makes me any less Indian than a person who supports Mr Modi," Mr Abdullah told NDTV.
At an election rally in Anantnag district, he said, "I will get a ticket from here to Muzaffarabad, because I will not stop opposing Modi."
BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitharaman said today, "Mr Adbullah, please focus on governing Jammu and Kashmir."
She also said, "On Giriraj Singh, we have made our position clear, he can look at it critically when he has time."
The Bihar leader has reportedly been strongly reprimanded by the party leadership. This morning, Narendra Modi tweeted, "Petty statements by those claiming to be BJP's well wishers are deviating the campaign from the issues of development & good governance...I disapprove any such irresponsible statement." (
Read: No irresponsible statements please, says Narendra Modi after Togadia controversy)
The #ModiSendMeToPak hashtag trended on Twitter on Monday as many jokes and jibes were exchanged.
The BJP candidate for the Nawada Lok Sabha seat had said, "Those who want to stop Narendra Modi (from becoming prime minister) are looking towards Pakistan. In the coming days, they will have no place in India. They will only have place in Pakistan."
The Bihar police have registered a First Information Report or FIR against Mr Singh.