Jammu, Nov 17: Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad Saturday demanded “stern” action against National Conference (NC) leader Mustafa Kamaal for terming India as an “enemy” country. He said Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his father Dr Farooq Abdullah were “under test over the issue”.
Azad rejected the clarification given by Union New and Renewable Energy Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah and his brother Kamaal on the issue. Farooq had termed the remarks of Kamaal, an NC additional general secretary, simply as "irresponsible".
"I have seen the compact disc (CD) in which Mustafa Kamaal has clearly said that he (Kamaal) had no hesitation in saying that India is our enemy country, Pakistan is not," Azad told reporters on the sidelines of a function.
There is no question of the statement having been blown out of context as Kamaal later claimed, Azad said.
“It is they (NC leaders) to decide as if action has to be taken against a person who himself is spokesperson of the party, uncle of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah,  and brother of Union Minister Dr Farooq Abdullah for his anti-India remarks," Azad said.
"I condemn his remarks in strong words but the retraction to it is also meaningless”, Azad said adding, “They (Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and his father Farooq Abdullah) are under test to take action against their relative”.
The NC is leading the coalition government in Jammu and Kashmir with the Congress party.
In the speech that caused the controversy, Kamaal had said: "Pakistan had offered a no war pact with India. Why does India not agree to it? If India carries on with such attitude, then I have no hesitation in saying that our (Kashmiris') biggest enemy is our own country, not Pakistan."
These comments had outraged the leaders of the Congress, alliance partner of the NC in the Jammu and Kashmir coalition government.
Later, Kamaal issued a clarification and said: "My history is known to everyone, my family's legacy and my political career of several decades is testimony to my credentials and today you call Mustafa Kamaal anti-national. It deeply hurts me, what I said has been blown out of context."

Lastupdate on : Sat, 17 Nov 2012 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Sat, 17 Nov 2012 18:30:00 GMT
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