Farooq hails statement, BJP hits out
NEW DELHI, June 12: Congress leader Digvijay Singh’s comments in a clubhouse conversation that the revocation of Article 370 and stripping Jammu and Kashmir of Statehood was an “extremely sad” decision and his party will have a “relook” at the issue have triggered a row, with the BJP accusing him of speaking against India and in agreement with Pakistan.
Singh’s remarks to a person, who the BJP said was a journalist of Pakistani origin, was seized by the saffron party leaders to hit out at the opposition party with its spokesperson Sambit Patra demanding statements from Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi on the issue.
“The decision of revoking Article 370 and reducing the Statehood of J&K is extremely, I would say, sad decision, and the Congress party would certainly have a relook on the issue,” Singh said, according to bits of conversation available on social media.
He was responding to a question about the “way forward” on the issue once the Modi Government is gone.
As the BJP attacked him, Singh posted a tweet in Hindi in an apparent jibe at the ruling party.
“This bunch of illiterate people cannot probably differentiate between ‘shall’ and ‘consider’,” the former Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister said.
Attacking him, Patra told reporters, “We have all seen how Digvijay Singh is spitting venom on India and speaking in agreement with Pakistan. This is the same person who had dubbed the Pulwama attack as an accident and described the 26/11 Mumabi attack as RSS conspiracy.”
The BJP leader cited old comments of other Congress leaders, including Rahul Gandhi and Mani Shankar Aiyar, to allege that Singh’s remarks were part of a larger pattern of the party being “hand in glove” with Pakistan.
“This is all part of the toolkit which the BJP had exposed,” Patra said in a reference to a controversial document rejected as fake by the Congress.
The Congress would go to the extent of collaborating with China and Pakistan to spread “hate” against Modi and India, he alleged.
“The Congress should change its name from INC (Indian National Congress) to ANC, Anti-national Clubhouse. This is such a clubhouse whose members have begun hating India while hating Modi,” he alleged.
Patra asked Sonia Gandhi and Rahul to make their party’s stand clear on the issue.
He claimed that Rahul Gandhi is the leader of these Congress politicians, adding that Pakistan Prime Minister Imran Khan had used his criticism of Article 370 as part of his country’s dossier against India on the issue in the UN.
Union Ministers Giriraj Singh and Kirren Rijiju were among other BJP leaders who targeted the Congress in their tweets over the issue.
Singh alleged, “Congress’ first love is Pakistan. Digvijay Singh conveyed Rahul Gandhi’s message to Pakistan. Congress will help Pakistan in grabbing Kashmir.”
BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh who is also incharge of the party in J&K, slammed Congress leader Digvijay Singh for his comments on Article 370 and said that he was living in a fool’s paradise.
Chugh said that abolition of Article 370 has brought new hope and optimism to the people. “The Congress has been always daydreaming about such issues and has been losing State after State in the country.
He said such leaders are dancing to the tune of Pakistan and are threat to the nation.
“People of the J&K are happy with the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s welfare and constructive schemes. A new chapter has been written in J&K and people are seeing hope in it, ” he said.
He said the Congress and other parties have been fooling people in J&K. ” A new era has arrived and pro-Pakistan people in the Congress like Digvijay Singh are getting upset, ” Chugh added.
BJP J&K president Ravinder Raina has also strongly condemned the statement of Digvijay Singh and said the BJP will never allow restoration of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir. “BJP won’t allow restoration of 370. Le them take 100 rebirths,” Raina said.
Meanwhile, welcoming the statement of senior Congress leader Digvijay Singh former Chief Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah today claimed that Jammu and Kashmir did not merge with Union of India but joined on certain terms in 1947.
“I am very grateful to Digvijay Singh who has realised the sentiments of people as other parties who have also spoken about it”, president of the National Conference (NC) Dr Abdullah said.
“I welcome it heartily and hope Central Government will look into it again,” said Dr Abdullah who is also Member of Parliament (MP) from Srinagar constituency on Singh’s remark during a Clubhouse chat.
Former Union Minister Dr Abdullah said the State did not merge but joined Union of India on certain terms and one of the terms was 370. He said Supreme Court (SC) twice gave two verdicts which clearly stated that this (article 370) is a permanent feature.
However, he said there is a political party in power in Delhi which has a long stand to abrogate Article 370. But, the former CM said this is not stand of the people of the nation but a party (BJP). BJP wanted it and they abrogated it against the wishes of people of all the three regions- Kashmir, Jammu and Ladakh.
People of all the three regions opposed it and we will continue to oppose against what they (BJP) have done. (Agencies)
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