National Conference president and candidate for the Srinagar parliamentary constituency Farooq Abdullah Monday said that if he had wished to break India then the country would not have existed. His remarks came day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi hit out at Abdullahs and Muftis saying he won’t allow them to “divide” India.
“You (Modi) raise fingers on us saying Abdullahs want tobreak India. If we had wished India would not have existed. Be thankful to us.Remember 1996 when nobody was ready to contest election (in J&K). Then I,Farooq Abdullah, came out against the advice of my colleagues to raise the flag(tricolour),” he said, addressing an election rally at Sher-e-Kashmir Parkhere.
“I went on and raised the flag. Don’t forget that Modiji,”Abdullah said. Abdullah, who represents Srinagar in the Parliament at present,said “no matter how much Modi tries to break India, I challenge him from thisplatform that you will break apart but India would not”.
The National Conference leader said the Prime Minister was only addressing election rallies in Jammu, and not visiting Kashmir, “knowing that he has betrayed Muslims”.
“Where do you (the Prime Minister) hold your rallies, in Akhnoor and Kathua?” “He (Modi) didn’t hold any rally among Muslims in Kashmir because he knows he has betrayed Muslims…those Muslims who didn’t go to Pakistan and instead accepted India.
When your people attacked them (Muslims), you didn’t raise your voice. Were they not Indian?” Abdullah asked. He said on April 13, India observed 100 years of JalianwallaBagh massacre. “Do you know Modiji who was the leader who fought the British? His name was Saif-ud-Din Kichloo from Baramulla. He was a Kashmiri and at least 1000 Kashmiris gave their life there. Did you remember them? Did you remember Kichlooo? You remember those who fired upon Mahatma Gandhi,” said Abdullah.
Were they not Indian?” Abdullah asked. He said on April 13, India observed 100 years of JalianwallaBagh massacre. “Do you know Modiji who was the leader who fought the British? His name was Saif-ud-Din Kichloo from Baramulla.
He was a Kashmiri and at least 1000 Kashmiris gave their life there. Did you remember them? Did you remember Kichlooo? You remember those who fired upon Mahatma Gandhi,” said Abdullah.
He said it wasn’t National Conference “but the Prime Minister himself who is dividing India”.
“You and your Amit Shah (BJP president) are destroying India. You are dividing Muslims, Christians, Hindus and others,” Abdullah said. Without explaining, Abdullah said he was in a hospital when “people came to me and asked me to shake hands with BJP”.
“I want to tell Sajad Lone (Peoples Conference chairman). He(Lone) came to me and asked me to sit with BJP. (But) I told him that I am inhospital and have nothing to say about it…” said Abdullah.
Abdullah said the government of India was saying it wouldmake “tough laws”. “Go and make them but you can’t win our hearts. Hearts can’tbe won by pellets and guns and by closing roads and through injustice. Then youblame that we are not faithful. Tum bi toudildaarnahihou,” Abdullah said. Hesaid the government of India didn’t do any justice with Kashmir. “Then you say Farooq is not with you. I won’tsit with you till my death, do whatever you can. We are not ready to sellourselves,” he said.
Among others, senior party leaders including Ali MuhammadSagar, Sheikh Mustafa Kamal, Abdur Rahim Rathar, Choudhary Muhammad Ramzan, AgaSyed Ruhullah, Mubarak Gul, Muhammad Akbar Lone, ShameemaFirdous, Nazir AhmadKhan Gurezi, Irfan Ahmad Shah, PirAfaq, Muhammad Syed Akhoon, ShamiOberoi,Sheikh IshfaqJabbar, Sheikh GhulamQadirPardesi, TanvirSadiq, Salman Ali Sagar,Showkat Ahmad Mir, DrSajad Uri, Aga Syed Yousaf, SabiyaQadri, Haji Abdul AhadDar, Ahsan Pardesi, YounisGul and MudassarShahmiri were present on theoccasion.