BJP misleading about number of people attending PM's rally: Azad

Srinagar, Dec 7: A day ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's maiden rally in Kashmir on Monday, Congress on Sunday accused BJP of "misleading" everyone on the number of people expected to attend the event.

Senior Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad said BJP should stop misleading people about the number of people expected to attend Prime Minister Narendra Modi's maiden election rally in Kashmir on Monday.

The venue chosen by BJP for Modi's rally in Srinagar has a seating capacity of 4,500 to 5,000 persons only, said the former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister.

"I want to tell the electronic and print media in Kashmir to wake up. The stadium they have chosen (for the rally) has a capacity of 4,500. The stage for the Prime Minister and the 'D' (for security cover) will take (out) 1,500 capacity. Then they are left with 2,500. "If BJP sees 1 lakh in 2,500, that kind of spectacles have not been made in the world yet. Where will the 1 lakh people come in? Please do not mislead the people," the Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha told reporters after an election rally in Sopore area of Baramullah district.

The Prime Minister is scheduled to address an election rally at the Sher-e-Kashmir Stadium here on Monday and the state BJP leaders are hopeful of putting up a strong show.

Azad also accused BJP of misleading people on abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution, which guarantees special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

"BJP is misleading the world. They misled the world on Article 370," he said. To a question about National Conference candidate from Baramulla Ghulam Hassan Rahi terming the calls for boycott of elections in the state a "democratic" process, Azad said Omar Abdullah should expel him from the party.

"If Omar Abdullah had been wise, he should have expelled him from the party. I regret that he (Omar) has not expelled him (Rahi) from the party yet," he said.

PTI