Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Apr 23: The president of the Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference, Sajjad Lone, accused the president of the National Conference, Dr Farooq Abdullah, of being tasked by the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) to incite polarization due to the BJP’s lack of contentious issues in the upcoming elections.
Click here to watch video
Lone made these allegations during a press conference held in response to statements made by Abdullah.
Abdullah had urged those supporting the BJP, including Lone and Altaf Bukhari, to consider the BJP’s treatment of Muslims before extending their support to the saffron party. “Allegations are being levelled against us, and let me tell you, the BJP has exhausted its polarization tactics,” Lone said.
Lone referenced a past incident during the Bihar elections when Abdullah’s statement about people supporting China caused an uproar, ultimately benefiting the BJP.
Lone asserted “confidently” that Abdullah has been instructed by the BJP to stoke polarization. “I would bet my life on it; he has been sent by them and is working for them,” he added.
Lone questioned whether Abdullah’s remarks about Muslims stemmed from genuine concern or were part of a BJP agenda. He urged Abdullah not to preach Islam to him. “I have always maintained decorum and refrained from crossing the line, but both father and son have labelled people as ‘B,’ ‘C,’ and ‘D’ teams whenever questioned,” he said.
Referring to accusations of alignment with other parties, Lone emphasized: “They are levelling allegations against us of being associated with other parties, but they themselves were aligned with the BJP during critical moments in history, such as the Babri Masjid demolition.”
He dismissed claims of communal tension in the region. “We have a 90 percent Muslim population, so communal tension is unlikely here,” he said.
Lone expressed his belief that the NC aims to marginalize Muslims. “I have been saying this for two years now; they first targeted Kashmiri Muslims, and now, in the digital age, they aim to squeeze Muslims across India,” he said.
Follow our WhatsApp channel
