National Conference president and former chief minister Dr Farooq Abdullah on Saturday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of continuing a tirade on the Congress over Article 370 in an attempt to weaken and reap dividends in the Maharashtra and Jharkhand assembly polls.
Fielding media queries, Abdullah said, “The Congress is today being attacked by BJP…whether it’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi or home minister Amit Shah. They are shouting repeatedly at them [Congress] just to win the elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand but we will not let them weaken Congress.”
He expressed hope that the INDIA bloc will emerge victorious in the assembly polls in both the states.
When asked about delay over statehood, the NC president said, “What type of a response do you want from the Centre to the resolution for restoration of statehood? How long has this (NC) government been formed? Do you want statehood to fall from the sky?”
“Statehood will be returned (to Jammu and Kashmir) and I have no doubt over it. Earlier, some people used to say that (Assembly) polls will not take place (in Jammu and Kashmir) but the elections happened. They (BJP) launched a propaganda that they will form the government but what happened? It is not good to build castles in the air”.
On the BJP’s poll slogan of “Katenge Toh Batenge”, Farooq retorted, “What slogan is this? I don’t understand it. Isn’t India one and aren’t we united? India is an example of unity in diversity and we should strengthen diversity that in turn would strengthen India”.
{{/usCountry}}On the BJP’s poll slogan of “Katenge Toh Batenge”, Farooq retorted, “What slogan is this? I don’t understand it. Isn’t India one and aren’t we united? India is an example of unity in diversity and we should strengthen diversity that in turn would strengthen India”.
{{/usCountry}}The veteran politician, meanwhile, rubbished a controversial debate organised by Oxford Union on “independent Kashmir”, saying, “There are people who want to do this but how can I react to it? I wasn’t there …Oxford (Union) didn’t invite me. Being independent is not so easy…We are surrounded by nuke powers Pakistan and China and then where is the economy? For everything we are dependent. And, those who think so, they live abroad and are bereft of the internal situation. We are part of India and will remain so.”