BJP trying to revive NDA as winning in 2024 will not be easy: Omar

The BJP is trying to revive the National Democratic Alliance NDA ahead of the 2024 general election as winning the polls will not be as easy as it wants to project National Conference NC leader Omar Abdullah claimed here on TuesdayThe former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister alleged that in the last 58 years the BJP did not honour friendship with its allies anywhere but is now seeking rapprochement out of compulsionOn the issue of a Uniform Civil Code Abdullah said it is the BJPs right to raise its agendaHe said the NC does not support the BJPs agenda but if such a statute is implemented there should not be any exemption for any community not even tribalsldquoI think our focus should be on the way the BJP is trying to revive the NDA This is proof that the BJP feels that the ground is not in its favourrdquo Abdullah told reporters here while replying to queries on the party raising core issues like UCCOne by one its friends left Their oldest friends like Shiv Sena or Akali Dal or other parties So what has changed is that it has become the BJPs compulsion that it is again offering the hand of friendship that they are trying to revive the NDArdquo the NC vice president saidHe said in Andhra Pradesh the BJP is talking to Chandrababu Naidus TDP and in Punjab attempts are being made to get Akali Dal backldquoThey are talking to Shiv Sena in Maharashtra So let us leave the BJPs core agenda the ground which the BJP says is in their favour the reality is that 2024 polls will not be as easy for them as they want to portray to the people through you mediardquo Abdullah addedAlso readMaharashtra Cabinet portfolios allotment can happen in a matter of hours could be four or 72 hours say Uday SamantOn the BJP raking up the plans to implement the Uniform Civil Code UCC the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said ldquoEvery political party has the right to place its agenda before the people and seek votesWe have done it other political parties have done it as well It is another matter that we do not personally like the BJPs agendaBut it is their democratic right and I do not have any objection that they are placing their agenda before the people Let them do it then we will see to itiquest he saidAbdullah said there was no proposal yet about the UCC so there was nothing to oppose or supportldquoI should have something first like a document or a proposal Since there is no proposal yet we are only talking in the air Let the proposal come let it be presented in the Parliament then if there is something which is against a community we will oppose it But what will we oppose when there is no proposalldquoIt is the media which is discussing it Prime Minister Narendra Modi perhaps talked about the UCC in one of his speeches saying this should happen But there is no agenda no proposal Yes it is the agenda of the BJP and we do not support the BJPs agendardquo he saidHe however said if there is UCC it has to be uniform and for everyoneldquoUniform means uniform for everybody If you are taking out the rest one by one then what does it mean That it is only for one community Is it that it is for changing the personal laws of Muslims onlyIf it is uniform then it should be applied to all If you give exemption to anyone be it Christians or Dalits or Tribals or Sikhs then it is obvious that the Muslims not only will seek an exemption but will achieve the exemption as wellrdquo he saidTo a question on whether the NC would attend the upcoming meeting of the opposition parties in Bengaluru on July 17 Abdullah said the party has the intention to go to the meetingOn the issue of a split within NCP Abdullah said the process has been going on and will continueldquoOne party has broken and it is not for the first time The parties have been broken before this as well The Congress was broken in MP Was an opposition meeting needed for that This process has been going on and will continuerdquo he saidHe however said he does not think the split would make NCP chief Sharad Pawar weak politicallyldquoIn fact I think he has become stronger especially the way statements by Ajit Pawar came like on Sharad Pawars age saying he should have retired beforeI think the people of Maharashtra would not have liked this The results will come when the people will get an opportunity to voterdquo he said