'How insensitive': BJP’s ‘razor gift to Omar Abdullah’ draws flak

The BJP came in for all-round attack after it reportedly took a dig at former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah, who has been under house arrest for nearly six months since the abrogation of the special status of the state, and sent him a pack of razors.

A recent photo of Abdullah doing the rounds on internet showed him with an uncharacteristically long beard, unlike the clean-shaven image that he used to maintain before the northern state was bifurcated and made a Union territory.

In a tweet, the BJP’s Tamil Nadu wing took a dig at the National Conference leader, saying they had ordered a pack of razors as a gift to be delivered at his Srinagar residence.

Also read | NC delegation meets Farooq, Omar Abdullah in house arrest for two months

The tweet was later deleted, but not before it stirred a hornet’s nest.

Congress leader Manish Tewari asked BJP’s recently appointed president JP Nadda to sack those behind the tweet.

If New President of the BJP, who hails from our neighbouring state Himachal Pradesh, Right Hon’ble MP @JPNadda has even an iota of sensitivity and propriety-which I am sure he does, then he should sack the authors of this thoroughly distasteful Tweet. @BJP4India @BJP4TamilNadu https://t.co/vF9ZE8hlVT

— Manish Tewari (@ManishTewari) January 28, 2020

How insensitive & hateful can someone be!!! Appalled that this is the level of discourse the biggest national political party of our country is propagating! Shameful, to say the least! #Kashmir https://t.co/vtY1eY17ES

— Rishi Suri (@rishi_suri) January 28, 2020

West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee had expressed sadness at seeing the picture.

I could not recognize Omar in this picture. Am feeling sad. Unfortunate that this is happening in our democratic country. When will this end ? pic.twitter.com/lbO0PxnhWn

— Mamata Banerjee (@MamataOfficial) January 25, 2020