SRINAGAR – The National Conference on Thursday said statements emanating from the Centre “plainly endorse” the apprehensions of the people of Jammu and Kashmir that the sole agenda behind abrogation of Articles 370 provisions was to change the demography of the state and affect its socio-religious complexes.
Referring to the recent statement of Union Minister of State for Home Affairs G Kishan Reddy that the government was going to conduct a survey of 50,000 temples in the state, the party said at a time when the people of state were “struggling” for basic amenities, the Centre was “raring to go” for a survey of the temples.
“At a time when the government of India should be busy engaging with the people and making amends to the blunder that was committed on 5 August, it unfortunately is up to something impish,” the NC said in a statement here.
The party, while referring to the recent statement of RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on allaying the suspicions of Kashmiris, said, “It is rather amusing to see such statements coming from an organisation whose anti-Muslim denomination is not hidden from any one.”
“The people of Kashmir and the Muslims living in the Muslim majority areas of the state have become apprehensive about the real content of the Government of India behind surveying temples.
“The people of the state are already aware of the aversion that BJP-RSS has for medieval Muslim rule in India and the composite culture. The name changing spree of cities, roads set afoot by BJP is known to all,” it said.
The NC asked the Centre to come clear on how it came to the conclusion that there were 50,000 temples in the state
“The eight million people of Kashmir, including the others millions of Muslims living in Pir Panchal, Chenab valley are apprehensive that the so-called survey of 50,000 temples might affect the socio-religious complexes of the Muslims and change the demography of the state.
“The people are deeply concerned about the protection of Muslim shrines, mosques and Waqaf properties. The statements emanating from the Centre plainly endorse their apprehensions,” it said.
The NC said the party was not against restoration of Hindu shrines and temples in the state, but the timing and the source of the statement was “annoying”.
“The commitment of the party for the Hindu-Muslim bonhomie is time tested. Our party stood for its secular ideals at a time when whole of the north India was overrun by communal frenzy post 1947. The timing of the statement and the source of the statement is what is annoying us,” it said.
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