Srinagar: Parties spar over remark on ‘jannat’

Srinagar, March 28

With campaigning for Lok Sabha elections on full swing in Kashmir Valley, the political parties have now started bringing religion into it. Peoples Conference senior general secretary Imran Reza Ansari on Thursday accused former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah of making religious comments during a rally in Budgam.

Ansari said: “During the rally, Omar said these the A team, B team, etc., may get certificates of election but they will not get the certificate of jannat. I was taken aback by such comments. I normally try not to react, but since it concerns our religion, I felt compelled to intervene as a keen adherent and student of Islam.”

Ansari said: “May I tell Omar that only the Almighty Allah decides who goes to jannat. That is the essence of our faith, of our religion. Let’s not mock religion. Omar Abdullah will not decide who will go to jannat and who won’t.”

“I have to caution him that the era of astagfirullah, “la-ila-ha il lalah sheikh Mohammed Abdullah”, is over and so is the era of myths that Sheikh Abdullah’s name was written on chinar leaves. That deception is simply not possible now,” Ansari added.

He said: “Mr Omar, look within. You are fortunate to have such generous political rivals. They refrain from questioning your religiosity. Elsewhere, questions would have been raised. We have never touched into your personal life”. — OC

Don’t mock religion

May I tell Omar that only the Almighty Allah decides who goes to jannat. That is the essence of our faith, of our religion. Let’s not mock religion. Omar Abdullah will not decide who will go to jannat and who won’t. — Imran Ansari, Peoples Conference leader