Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s comment in Srinagar on Thursday that Pakistan was doing a “balle balle” over the National Conference-Congress alliance’s purported agenda of restoring Article 370 drew a sharp reaction from three former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers.
PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti claimed that Kashmir would have been part of Pakistan and not India if the Abdullahs had implemented the neighbouring country’s agenda.
Farooq Abdullah, on the other hand, accused the BJP of implementing Pakistan’s agenda by releasing “pro-Pakistan leaders” (to contest polls).
Farooq’s son Omar Abdullah asked why militants had killed “4,000 to 4,500” National Conference leaders and workers if they were implementing Pakistan’s agenda.
Modi had on Thursday launched a blistering attack on the Congress, NC and the PDP and claimed that Pakistan was doing “balle balle” on their agenda of restoring Article 370, suggesting they were following Pakistan’s line.
“If the Abdullah family had implemented Pakistan’s agenda, Jammu and Kashmir would not have been part of India but of Pakistan or stayed independent,” Mehbooba said in reply to a question on Modi’s claim.
The PDP chief appeared to kill two birds with one stone — the BJP as well as the NC, reminding that Jammu and Kashmir was part of India because of Kashmiri politicians and hitting out at NC for allegedly doing so.
Many in Kashmir blame Sheikh Abdullah for pushing Jammu and Kashmir into the lap of India.
Mehbooba also accused the BJP of raising the bogey of Pakistan to divert attention from its “own failures”.
Farooq said it was the BJP and not the NC that was running Pakistan’s agenda.
“We never ran Pakistan’s agenda. That is the regret (that they face such accusations). Those who are accusing us are running Pakistan’s agenda. They are calling us Pakistan’s agents. Have they not released who parrots ‘Pakistan Pakistan’?” he said.
Farooq was apparently referring to leaders of the Jamaat-e-Islami and Baramulla MP Sheikh Abdul Rashid, who are contesting the Assembly polls.
