New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Wednesday slammed National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah for his remark that he never called out Jawaharlal Nehru for jailing his father Sheikh Abdullah, saying the politician is prepared to disown his father for the "greed of power".
BJP national general secretary Tarun Chugh accused Abdullah of political opportunism.
"It was pure political opportunism of Farooq Abdullah in his greed for power that he was even prepared to abjure and to an extent disown his father," Chugh was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Abdullah, an INDIA bloc member, said on Sunday that he never said Nehru was wrong in jailing his father for 13 years.
"My father was kept in jail for 13 years by Jawahar Lal Nehru. I have never said that Jawahar Lal has done this wrong. I have been saying that he may have a better understanding," Abdullah said on Sunday.
The BJP leader said it was a matter of shame and disgrace that the politician justified his father's arrest.
Also read: ‘Nehru not responsible for bringing Article 370 in J&K,’ says NC leader Farooq Abdullah
{{/usCountry}}Also read: ‘Nehru not responsible for bringing Article 370 in J&K,’ says NC leader Farooq Abdullah
{{/usCountry}}Chugh called Abdullah "power hungry". He warned the people of Jammu and Kashmir against those playing a double game for their political interest.
BJP spokesperson Girdhari Lal Raina accused Abdullah of sycophancy.
"Indira (Gandhi) is India syndrome that defines sycophancy on one side and arrogance of entitlement on other seems to have badly hit the National Conference like its alliance partner Congress party these days," Raina told reporters, per PTI.
Reacting to Abdullah's remarks in Jammu last week, Raina said, "We feel astonished over the statement equating J&K with the National Conference. It is laughable and smacks of the sense of entitlement instead of any merit."
Abdullah is one of the foremost defenders of Nehru's legacy, currently under attack from the Bharatiya Janata Party. The BJP has blamed Nehru for problems afflicting Jammu and Kashmir.
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Last year, Abdullah said Nehru was not responsible for bringing Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir.
"I don't know why they have venom against Nehru. Nehru is not responsible. When Article (370) came, Sardar Patel was there Nehru was in America when the Cabinet meeting happened. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee was also present when the decision was made," he had said.