Mir Farhat
Srinagar, Mar 29: National Conference President Farooq Abdullah today slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party’s “insaniyat” slogan about resolving the Kashmir issue, saying it is a drama and said that BJP’s only aim is to abrogate Article 370 and they are adamant on it.
Abdullah while addressing the party workers at Nawai-e- Subhe here said: “Their (BJP’s) ranting about resolving Kashmir issue under the ambit of ‘insaniyat’ (humanity) is only a drama. They talk about ‘insaniyat ke dayiren mein’, but I swear by God their hearts harbor evil against Muslims.”
BJP’s Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi had in Jammu invoked former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s “insaniyat ke dayiren mein” slogan and pledged to carry forward his policy on Kashmir.
“Their leaders don’t love Kashmiri people, they only love the Kashmir’s land. The day they start loving our people from heart we will have no complaint against them,” Abdullah said.
The NC president said the BJP leaders like Arun Jaitley, Narendra Modi or others never care for Kashmir but only talk for Jammu and Ladakh and their hearts harbor evil against Muslims.
Abdullah said that autonomy is the birth right of Kashmiri people and seeking the right is not an offence. “New Delhi never studied the autonomy document which was passed by the State legislature during his Government”, he added.
“We tried a lot at that time to make them (NDA Government) understand the document of autonomy. The then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee invited me after we had passed autonomy resolution and sent it to Delhi,” the NC president said.
“I had sent five copies of autonomy resolution to the then Home Minister L K Advani. On the day of Shama Prasad Mukherjee’s death anniversary, Vajpayee told me, without having read the document, they were not ready to accept the autonomy resolution”, said Abdullah.
The NC president said he was surprised that Ministers had said in a cabinet meeting that they would read the document and then decide whether to accept or reject it. “I know they have not studied the document till now,” he said.
Lashing out at the BJP, Abdullah said they wanted to bury Article 370 then and they want to bury it now. “But they cannot bury it. There is no soil which can be used to bury Article 370. I will challenge them and demand our rights back, rights which they snatched. I won’t settle till then,” he said amid applause from the workers, who raised slogans in his praise.
Abdullah is contesting Parliamentary elections from Srinagar-Budgam constituency against main Opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate Tariq Hamid Karra.
The NC president flayed the main Opposition PDP for creating rural-urban divide in the Valley and said the party was created to divide Muslim votes in the State.
“Pen and Inkpot party, you know, who created that party. It was created to divide Muslims votes in Jammu and Kashmir. Do you know how they split people on the basis of rural-urban divide?” Abdullah asked his workers.
The NC president said that the PDP on the one side talks about representing Kashmiris and their aspirations and on the other side are open to an alliance with Modi.
“With regret I have to say that Mufti Sahab is supporting such people. I am saying to Mufti that if he wants power, let him take it. But don’t sell the oppressed nation of Kashmir,” Abdullah said.
The NC president ridiculed the PDP President Mehbooba Mufti’s statement that their members will represent Indian Muslims in the Parliament. “Now, they say, they will talk about Indian Muslims in the Parliament. Our own house is not in order; I ask them (PDP) first get your own house in order,” he said, adding that his father Sheikh Abdullah was also offered to lead Indian Muslims.
“But he declined the offer, saying my own people need me more. ‘They are poor. I have to represent them only’,” said Abduallah quoting late Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah.
The NC president also took a dig at PDP candidate and asked him what did he do when he was the Finance Minister in 2002.
Abdullah also said that Mirwaiz Omar Farooq’s idea about starting a movement for eradicating social evils is welcome step. “I pray that he succeeds in his step,” he said.
Hurriyat Conference (M) Chairman said on Friday that he will kick-start a reform campaign in the Valley against social evils like drug abuse and consumption of alcohol, gambling and the growing cases of suicides.
Abdullah also said that Muslim countries are going through a tough phase and are trapped in problems. “What can we do to others, we are ourselves trapped. There are problems in Syria, Egypt, Iraq, and Afghanistan. Our neighbour, Pakistan, is blowing with bombs, even inside Masjids, Shias and Sunnis are fighting each other,” Abdullah said, adding the more Muslims are suppressed, the more they will rise.
“Pray for peace, we have seen enough of conflict. God should take us out of these conflicts,” Abdullah said. He told the workers that their party is facing a test in the coming parliamentary elections.
“It is a test and we have to show to the world: Does NC exist or not? The question is will NC remain in power or not. NC is alive because of you. You supported Sher-e-Kashmir and he in turn was faithful to you till his last breath. Sheikh was the only reason why the State did not merge with India,” Abdullah said.
The NC president said people are waiting for us to fall to seize an opportunity. “Keep the party flag afloat, winning or losing is in God’s hands. If we hold our head high today, it is because of NC flag,” he said.
Earlier, Javed Kochuk, the son of former National Conference Minister, Late Ghulam Nabi Kochak of Anantnag, joined the party.Among others present were Minister for Rural Development, Ali Mohammad Sagar, Additional General Secretary Mustafa Kamal, NC Provincial President Nasir Alsam Wani.
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