Bandipora (Jammu and Kashmir): Jammu and Kashmir National Conference Vice President Omar Abdullah on Friday said that the Muslim community is being targetted in the nation and further questioned that do "Muslims have no right to participate in development" of the nation.
Omar Abdullah said that various narratives are being used to target the Muslim community.

Addressing an election rally in Bandipore, Omar Abdullah said, "Muslims are being targeted. These days narrative is that if Muslims come, they will steal the jewellery of Hindus, if Muslims come, they will take the land of Hindus. The elections are between Modi and Rahul Gandhi and development and jihad. As, if Muslims know nothing apart from Jihad. Do we not want to participate in development?"

He further said that the BJP wants to snatch away the marriage rights of the Muslim community through the implementation of the Uniform Civil Code.
"They want to snatch away our Sharia rights. We won't be allowed to marry someone through Nikah and will have to go to court. Ask BJP, how many Muslim candidates it has fielded in these Lok Sabha elections," Abdullah said.
"How can we forget a worshiper is kicked while performing a Jumma prayer? Our girls when they wanted to go to school in Karnataka, they were allowed to enter in peace after taking off the hijab," he added.

Earlier today, BJP leader Kavinder Gupta said that things have changed in Jammu and Kashmir after abrogation of Article 370.
"Many people of different societies got their rights. In the coming days, assembly elections will be held in the state and hence Amit Shah directed the party workers regarding the preparations for that. He said that the BJP will contest all seats (in assembly elections) Lok Sabha elections are also going on, hence he is here, also to see security situations in the state," he said.

Notably, the BJP is not contesting from any of Jammu and Kashmir's three Lok Sabha seats--Srinagar, Baramulla, and Anantnag.
The electoral battle remained between two major regional parties, the National Conference (NC) and the People's Democratic Party (PDP). In the 2019 Lok Sabha election, the BJP had six candidates in the fray in Jammu and Kashmir but failed to win a single seat in Kashmir.
Voting for the Udhampur and Jammu seats concluded on April 19 and 26, respectively, while in Srinagar, voting was done on May 13. The Baramulla seat will vote on May 20, while the Anantnag-Rajouri seat will vote on May 25.