Omar Abdullah terms pro-Pakistan slogans by party MLA 'misplaced', but says BJP should 'beg forgiveness' for security situation

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah on Saturday termed 'pro-Pakistan' slogans raised by Mohammad Akbar Lone, an MLA of his party, as misplaced but accused the BJP of obfuscating the issue of the security of the state.

Abdullah, in a series of tweets, said, "You (BJP) let us worry about the MLA. You, on the other hand, should be begging forgiveness of the nation for your abject mishandling of Jammu and Kashmir over the last few years both at the Centre & with your coalition partner (PDP)."

The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister was responding to BJP spokesperson GVL Narasimha Rao, who alleged that NC was backing the MLA for his 'pro-Pakistan rants. Rao demanded his expulsion from the party.

Lone on Saturday raised pro-Pakistan slogans in the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly after BJP members condemned the neighbouring country over the terror attack on an Army camp in Jammu.

Earlier in the day, Speaker Kavinder Gupta made some remarks which led to high-pitched sloganeering against Pakistan by the BJP members. NC legislators Javed Rana, Ali Mohd Sagar, Akbar Lone, Abdul Majid Larmi and others trooped into the Well of the House seeking an apology from the Speaker.

Talking to reporters, Lone said he had shouted pro-Pakistan slogans only in reaction to the BJP which, he claimed, had shown that they hate Muslims.

"The statement of Speaker Kavinder Gupta shows what they have in their mind," he claimed.

The NC condemned the slogans, terming them unacceptable. Party spokesman Junaid Azim Mattu tweeted, "Just spoke to chief NC Farooq Abdullah sahib. Dr Sahib and entire party is of the unequivocal stand that NC MLA from Sonwari Akbar Lone had spoken out of turn and his slogans in assembly were completely unacceptable to the party."

With inputs from PTI