Omar, Mehbooba see LS polls behind govt boycotting Pak Day event

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti have said the Centre's decision to boycott the Pakistan Day function at its High Commission in Delhi was due to the Lok Sabha polls.

India has decided to boycott a reception at the Pakistan High Commission to mark that country's national day as several separatists leaders from the state have been invited to the event, the External Affairs Ministry said Friday.

"On one hand, PM sends greetings to Pak for its national day. On another, many invitees to celebrations held at Pak High Comm were harassed outside by cops. This dichotomy & inconsistency is a well thought out strategy dictated entirely by electoral prospects & domestic politics," PDP president Mufti tweeted.

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah said while the BJP-led government at the Centre had no problems in sending a representative to Pakistan Day event from 2015 to 2018, this year, the decision to boycott was taken as the elections ...