Rajouri, Sep 24: National Conference (NC) President and three-time chief minister Farooq Abdullah Monday said that the legal battle for restoration of Article 370 would continue.
Talking to media persons on the sidelines of his visit to Rajouri’s Budhal area where he addressed a public rally to campaign for NC-Congress alliance candidate Javed Iqbal Chowdhary, he said, “Restoration of Article 370 is part of a legal battle which is going on.”
Abdullah said that in the first two judgements of the Supreme Court, it was mentioned that Article 370 was permanent but in the third judgement it had been termed temporary.
“We will continue this legal battle and keep knocking at the door of the Supreme Court,” he said.
Mocking the BJP’s claim of forming the next government in J&K, Abdullah said that NC and Congress would form the next government in J&K.
On being questioned about the ST status of Paharis by the BJP-led government, he questioned the time of announcing this status to the Pahari tribe.
“They were in the government for the past 10 years but why did they give ST status to Paharis only ahead of the parliamentary polls? This was aimed to woo Paharis and pressurise them but Paharis have sensed this game,” Abdullah said.
Questioning BJP’s statement of the relation of Article 370 with terrorism, he said that BJP used to say that terrorism in J&K was due to Article 370 but terrorism was still prevailing in the region even after the abrogation of Article 370 and encounters were taking place regularly.
Abdullah questioned the silence of the government over the recent incident of the rape of a Dalit girl.
He questioned the “silence” of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Home Minister Amit Shah, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath over the alleged rape of a Scheduled Caste woman, a sanitation worker at Ayodhya’s Ram Temple, and said, “Is she not our sister and daughter? They say we protect the citizens but the fact is they only care for their chair.”
Earlier, addressing a public rally, he said, “BJP was spreading hatred everywhere and was even misusing the name of the lord although this was the reason why BJP lost Ayodhya seat in parliamentary polls. They misused the name of lord Ram and lord Ram taught BJP a lesson.”
Abdullah said the BJP was spreading hatred everywhere and it was important to end hatred to save India.
He also made a strong appeal to the people urging them to unite and support its alliance with the Congress in the ongoing J&K polls, which he said was not about religion but action.
The former chief minister emphasised the fight against the “forces” spreading hatred across the country, which he claimed were trying to weaken the nation to stay in power.
Addressing a rally in Surankote, Abdullah took a jibe at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, criticising his remarks about the ‘mangalsutra’, which he said were made to incite hatred among the masses.
“Aaj yah dharm ki baat nahin hai, yah karm ki baat hai kyunki yah badi jung hai nafrat ke khilaf (Today, it is not about religion but it is about action because this is a big fight against hatred). It is a fight against those hate-spreading parties who want to divide India. Can we bury those parties that are spreading hatred in India?” Abdullah said.
Abdullah was accompanied by Leader of the Opposition in Lok Sabha (LoP) Rahul Gandhi while hitting the campaign trail in support of the Congress-National Conference (NC) alliance candidate Mohmmad Shahnawaz contesting the elections from Surankote assembly segment in the border district of Poonch.
He stressed the importance of the alliance’s success.
“This fight is against the hatred that the BJP and RSS are spreading throughout the country. They have tried to create conflicts between Hindus and Muslims, Hindus and Sikhs, and Hindus and Christians just to hold onto power. But they are failing and their strategy is not working,” Abdullah said.
He also appealed for communal harmony, saying, “We all must unite and fight this battle together — Hindus, Muslims, Gujjars, Kashmiris, Shias and Sunnis. Today, it is not about religion. It is about action because this is a big fight against hatred.”
Abdullah quoted Gandhi, who said he intended to “shut down the shop of hatred and open a shop of love”.
“The people of J&K want to crush the vehicle of hatred and drive the vehicle of love throughout India. This is our action, and this is our belief,” he said.
Abdullah urged people to vote for the alliance and bring its government to J&K.
Abdullah referred to Choudhary Muhammad Akram, who is a rebel candidate contesting against the Congress candidate in the constituency and asked him to withdraw for the “greater good” of the alliance.
“Akram Sahab, your continued stance strengthens those forces that do not want us to live peacefully. Step down and make this alliance a success,” he urged.
