Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Aug 3: Ridiculing the yesterday’s statement of former Chief Minister of J&K and president of National Conference (NC), Dr Farooq Abdullah, Brig Anil Gupta, spokesperson of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), today alleged that the most of his statements were contradictory.
In a statement issued here, today he said like other members of the Gupkar Gang he also resorted to liberal BJP bashing. But no amount of BJP bashing will draw them closer to estranged Kashmiris who are in no mood to pardon him and his son for the miseries brought upon them due to their lust for power, he added.
Brig Gupta said firstly, Farooq’s contention that the erstwhile State had a special status is totally false. The J&K enjoyed certain special provisions as enshrined in Articles 370 and 35A and to term it as special status is misrepresentation of the Constitution. He said then ruler of J&K, Maharaja Hari Singh decided to join secular India because he was convinced that it was in the interest of his subjects. Farooq’s father was also keen to join India not for the reasons stated by Farooq but for selfish reason to eliminate competition to his leadership from more popular Muslim leaders of the region who favoured Pakistan, stated Brig Gupta.
He said Sheikh Abdullah later began to use the Kashmiri identity as a bargaining chip to gain more autonomous power for him though the people of Jammu & Ladakh favoured complete integration of the State with India. Referring to his statement regarding release of Azhar Masood, Brig Gupta said, “It is very easy to criticise in hindsight. If Farooq disagreed with the decision why didn’t he resign? Similar was the case when autonomy report was rejected”.
Brig Gupta said Farooq very conveniently tried to shift the onus of exodus of Kashmiri Pandits on the night of January 19, 1990 on then Governor Jagmohan which is not fact.
It was under the watch of Farooq that the streets of Kashmir were reverberating with blood curdling shouts and shrieks, threatening Kashmiri Pandits to leave or face the dire consequences. Announcements were being made from the mosques presenting the KPs with three choices- Ralive, Tsaliv ya Galive (convert, leave or perish), he added.
Threatening slogans like- “Kashmir mein agar rahna hai, Allah-ho-Akbar Kahna hai,” (Wanting to live in Kashmir will have to convert to Islam) “Islam hamara maqsad hai, Quran hamara dastur hai, jihad hamara Rasta hai,” (Islam is our objective, Quran is our constitution, Jehad is our way of life), “Kashir banawon Pakistan, Bataw varaie, Batneiw saan,” (We will turn Kashmir into Pakistan alongwith Kashmiri Pandit women, but without their men folk” were being shouted when Farooq was the CM. Ham Kya Chahtey Azadi Azadi Ka Matlab Kya…….?His administration rather than assuring or protecting the Kashmiri Pandits chose to remain a silent spectator, he added.
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