BJP Terms Farooq’s Remarks Seditious, Anti-National

New Delhi: The BJP on Monday accused National Conference supremo Farooq Abdullah of making “seditious and anti-national” remarks on the issue of restoring the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and said he had become a “hero in China”.

BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said that the National Conference MP and former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir in an interview to a TV channel stated that “with China’s support”, Article 370 of the Constitution, which conferred special status to Jammu and Kashmir, will be restored.

Addressing a press conference at the party office, Patra claimed Abdullah has also justified China’s recent aggression at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) by saying that the abrogation of Article 370 by the Indian parliament has irked and disturbed the communist country.

Underlining that Article 370 was abrogated in a “constitutional manner” by the Indian parliament, the BJP leader said, “Abdullah remarks are seditious and anti-national.”

Patra said it is painful and worrisome that a former chief minister and sitting MP makes such a statement and “justifies the expansionist attitude of China”.

Parliamentarians from opposition parties have the right to attack and criticise the government, but “does it suit a sitting MP to speak against the interests of his own country out of frustration against Prime Minister Narendra Modi”, he said.

Drawing parallels between the remarks of Abdullah and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Patra said they both have a similar mindset and are two sides of the same coin.

“It is not just Farooq Abdullah who makes such statements. Rahul Gandhi also does so. If you look back into history and listen to the recent statements of Rahul Gandhi, you will find that both these leaders are two sides of the same coin,” Patra said.

He said that by questioning the Balakot airstrike, Rahul Gandhi had become a hero in Pakistan and, similarly, with the recent remarks “Abdullah has become a hero in China.

BJP Twisting Farooq’s Remarks: NC

Earlier the National Conference denied that its President Farooq Abdullah had said Article 370 would be restored with the help of China and accused the BJP of “completely twisting” his remarks made during a TV interview.

The party affirmed that Abdullah never justified China’s expansionist mindset or its aggression during his interview on Sunday as claimed by BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra at a presser in New Delhi earlier in the day.

“Our President articulated the people’s anger over the abrogation of Article 370 and 35-A by Parliament on August 5 last year as he has consistently done in recent months. He emphasised that no one in Jammu and Kashmir was willing to accept these changes,” an NC spokesman said.

He claimed that Abdullah’s comments on China in response to a question have been “completely twisted” by Patra, who accused the NC President of justifying Chinese aggression and expansionist mindset.

“Sambit Patra has a habit of twisting words and using the bully pulpit of the BJP office to lie when it suits the political agenda of his party, the NC spokesman said.

Dr Abdullah never said that together with China we will bring back Article 370 as Mr Patra claimed at a media briefing in which he also misquoted some previous statements of Dr Abdullah,”.

Earlier in the day, Patra accused Abdullah of making “seditious and anti-national” remarks on the issue of restoring the special status of Jammu and Kashmir and said he had become a “hero in China”.

He said the National Conference MP and former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir in his interview had stated that “with China’s support”, Article 370 of the Constitution, which conferred special status to Jammu and Kashmir, will be restored.

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