National Conference president Farooq Abdullah Wednesday asserted that dialogue between India and Pakistan is the “only way to resolve the protracted issue of Jammu and Kashmir”.
Addressing a public gathering at Palpura, Idgah here, hesaid the issue of Jammu and Kashmir is “not a consequence of lack ofdevelopment. The issue is political in nature. It has held hostage thedevelopment of the sub-continent. Our party has all along maintained that thedialogue between the two nations affords a way out,” he said, according to aNational Conference statement issued here.
Appreciating Pakistan PM Imran Khan for his statement wherein he has cast off war as the option between India and Pakistan, and impressed for dialogue to solve J&K, Abdullah said: “These words are coming from the PM of our neighboring country, a former cricketer.
However on this side our PM Modi is still speaking the language of a tea seller. National Conference too vouches for a time-bound and result-oriented dialogue between India and Pakistan. We firmly believe the increased bonhomie between India and Pakistan will usher in a new era of peace and prosperity in our state and in the sub-continent in general.”
“The issue of J&K has been lingering since 1947, how long shall our people suffer? No sooner we impress for a political solution of our state, we are out-rightly tainted as anti-national. This has to stop.
The government has to see what holds good for the greater good of the country and the sub-continent at large. The BJP-led government at Centre is using Kashmir to leverage its poll prospects elsewhere in the country. The trend should stop as it can have serious ramifications for the country’s unity and integrity,” Abdullah said.
Hitting out at PM Modi, Abdullah said: “During its stint inpower, the BJP headed by PM Modi has led to the amplification of hate,particularly against Muslims. This is not the idea of India which wasvisualised by the founders of a modern day India nation-state; they visualiseda secular, progressive country shorn of all prejudices and hate. PM Modi hasnot a speck of affection for the minorities”.
“The other day when a Hindu police officer lost his life while saving a Muslim man from the mob frenzy of communalists, PM Modi didn’t come up with a word of homage and accolade for the slain police officer. This people see with their own eyes.
Now it is for us to decide if we allow such a person to continue to be in the vanguard of the new government after elections,” he said, according to the statement.
Flaying Modi for “squandering the precious mandate ofpeople”, Abdullah said: “Wherever PM Modi goes he parrots Balakot Balakot! Butwhen we seek account of the work and development done by him, he paints us asanti-national. He has nothing to say on the achievements of his government, heis hiding his failures by masquerading behind Balakot attack. His governmentwasn’t able to deliver on a single promise made by them in their electionmanifesto of 2014 general elections. People are asking where the jobs are.People are still waiting for 15 lakh rupees to be deposited into theiraccounts. Every single edible has become dearer”.
“The petrol, diesel prices are soaring high. The Modi-ledBJP government is not leaving legacy but a caution for the times to come,” hesaid.
“PM Modi has been flaunting the air strikes on Pakistan and bringing down of F16 jets of Pakistan, however the revelation coming from USA does not attest to his claims. The USA has said that all the F16 jets of Pakistan are intact, therefore deflating the claims of Modi. It was the same USA that had come up with the satellite images of Pak Army putting up in Mushko Valley during the Kargil war.
I myself saw that satellite pic (sic). If USA was right at that time why should its revelation be doubted at this juncture?” Abdullah said, adding: “Having failed to deliver on every front, on every promise, the PM has amplified the scope of his gimmickry, and lying. However people have seen it all with their eyes, no theatrics, and deception can affect the people of country”.
He accused PM Modi of “creating a humanitarian crisis inKashmir by banning the civilian traffic on national highway for two day aweek.”
“The other day a family called on me and narrated the ordealthey had to go through in view of traffic ban. They couldn’t open the windowpanes of their car, they had to keep inside with their children causingenormous nuisance to them. How can he think of winning the hearts of people bydolling out such repressive measures,” Abdullah said.
Abdullah said that he won’t allow anyone to touch state’sspecial status.
“I won’t allow anyone to fiddle with the Articles 370 and 35A. We are seeking the restoration of our relation with the union of India onthe basis of Delhi agreement of 1953 and on the fundamentals of the accession.This demand of ours has been attested to by the former PM P V Narsima Rao, whoin his televised interview in Burkina Faso had attested to the demand ofrestoring the status of our state. He had affirmed that when it comes togranting autonomy to the state, sky is the limit,” Abdullah said.
He said that the ensuing elections are the “semifinalsbefore the assembly elections and that the people should keep up the tempountil assembly elections”.