The National Conference (NC) president Dr. Farooq Abdullah, on Sunday, accused the top BJP leadership of trying to “intimidate” Hindu voters by creating fear of revival of terrorism in the Jammu region if the NC-Congress alliance came to power in J&K.
Farooq was replying to questions raised by Home Minister Amit Shah in Jammu that terrorism would return to the region if the two-party alliance was voted to power in the upcoming Assembly elections.
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He said top BJP leaders were focusing on creating a fear psychosis among the Hindus in a bid to get votes from the Jammu region.
The BJP thinks Hindus would vote for them. But today, the Hindus have changed. Initially, the BJP sought votes in the name of Ram Temple, but now they are resorting to intimidating them, he said.
Farooq was speaking to reporters after paying homage to NC founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah at the mausoleum on his 42nd death anniversary.
Meanwhile, on the sidelines of an election rally in south Kashmir’s Shopian, NC vice-president Omar Abdullah also lashed out at Shah for his remarks. He said; “I feel very sad when the home minister of India makes such kind of statements. Distorting reality is a bad thing.”
He added that under NC’s six-year government, terrorism had decreased and asked the home minister to compare it with the last five years, where, he claimed, militancy consistently increased, that too, in most districts of the Jammu region that were declared terrorism-free during the NC rule.
Jammu’s Rajouri, Poonch, Jammu, Samba, Kathua, Doda, Reasi and Udhampur districts have witnessed terror incidents recently, he pointed out, adding, “If any organisation has made sacrifices against terrorism, it is the NC.”
Farooq asked; “They repealed Article 370 but did terrorism end? Terrorism is rising again and it is the responsibility of the BJP government”.
Reacting to Shah’s criticism of the NC-Congress alliance, Farooq said he was trying to malign the NC. “But, God willing, they won’t succeed. Our efforts will pave a way to serve for the betterment of our people”.
He said “we” are against the type of Bharat they are trying to make. Bharat belongs to all – Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, and Buddhists. “We are not intruders and not snatching away mangalsutra. Muslims have an equal contribution towards the freedom of India,” Farooq added.
He described the BJP manifesto as a bunch of “jumlas”.
