Probe Farooq's anti-national links: BJP

The party demands a "thorough investigation" into Farooq's links with anti-national elements, including the JKLF, reports Arun Joshi.

The BJP has demanded that a case of criminal conspiracy be registered against former Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah for what it called “ instigating terrorists to physically harm judges who pronounce capital punishment on Mohammad Afzal Guru,” the man convicted in the 2001 Parliament attack.

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The party also demanded a “thorough investigation” into Farooq’s links with anti-national elements, including the JKLF, since the early 1970s.

The party was reacting to media reports quoting Farooq Abdullah’s interview to a TV channel, where he said the nation will “ go up in flames” if Afzal is executed. The BJP has called his comments “anti-national”.

The demand was made at an emergency meeting of the state unit of BJP leaders in Jammu on Sunday.

BJP leaders said Farooq should be booked under the Public Safety Act for “trying to create communal wedge between Hindus and Muslims.”

The party said Farooq’s comments made for a fit case for registration of a “ case of criminal conspiracy against the nation.”

A party statement said the “National Conference leader has crossed all limits not only of decency but has openly threatened the Indian judicial system, rule of law and democracy.”

The party pointed out that there “seems to be a rat race to make inflammatory speeches and issue provocative statements threatening the integrity of the country and mislead a particular community both in Kashmir and other parts of the country. This could have serious repercussions for the country. Be it the separatists, Ghulam Nabi Azad, Farooq Abdullah, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed and his daughter, all have become threats to the territorial integrity of the country.”

The BJP has demanded a ban on all political parties and organizations pleading for clemency for Afzal.