Dismisses Opposition Criticism Over Signature Campaign; Says hopefull of INDIA Bloc’s VP Candidate to Win
Srinagar, Aug 19 :
Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday urged political parties not to distort history for their agendas, stressing that students must be taught facts as they are and allowed to form their own judgments.
Speaking to reporters after attending a seminar on the National Education Policy (NEP-2020), organised by the Directorate of School Education Kashmir at Centaur Hotel Srinagar, CM Omar as per news agency Kashmir News Corner — KNC said, “It is wrong to tamper with history, especially when politicians do it for their own gain. Governments change, and if today one party rewrites history, tomorrow another may do the same against them. Let children learn the real history and make their own conclusions.”
He was replying to query over, the controversy surrounding NCERT’s revised modules that attribute the Partition not solely to Muhammad Ali Jinnah but also to the Congress, Omar strongly opposed what he described as “political meddling in history.”
Chief Minister underlined that the role of the British in dividing India and the political circumstances of that time should be presented truthfully. “It was the British who ruined us. The demand for the division of India did arise, and that fact must remain. Bringing politics into this is wrong,” he said.
Reacting to the opposition’s criticism of his party’s ongoing signature campaign for the restoration of statehood, Omar said the allegations were unfounded. “The opposition exists to oppose. If they do not want statehood or do not wish to meet people, that is their choice. We went out and engaged with the public, and if others criticise us for it, that is their business,” he remarked.
On the upcoming Vice Presidential elections following Jagdeep Dhankhar’s resignation, Omar questioned the Centre’s approach. “We still do not understand why this election was forced. Ever since Dhankhar sahib stepped down, he has not been seen. I pray for his good health, but I firmly believe that the INDIA bloc’s candidate should win,” he said.
Education Minister Sakina Itoo and senior officials from the Education Department also attended the seminar. (KNC)