The upcoming general elections are a fight against communal forces to save the nation from destruction, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah said on Monday.
“Except for destruction, they (the BJP-led government) havenothing to offer. I don’t think they can offer anything if they return topower. Their agenda is destruction,” Abdullah told media-persons at hisresidence after filing his nomination papers from the Srinagar-BudgamLokSabhaseat, here.
He was accompanied by his son and former chief minister OmarAbdullah and party’s general secretary Ali Muhammad Sagar to the office of thereturning officer, where he filed the nomination.
Without naming any party, Abdullah said “these communalforces are hell bent upon destroying the nation”.
“They want just one colour to bloom in the garden. It (thepolls) is a fight to save the nation,” Abdullah, the MP from Srinagar, said.
To a question, the NC leader rejected that there was a “Modiwave” in India.
“If it would have been so, then they would not have donewhat they did in Balakot (across LoC). That image of Modi is gone. Now theythink that through Balakot they have got a fresh lease of life…they ended uplosing one aircraft,” Abdullah said.
He said there was a dire need to bring “secular forces”together for the upcoming elections.
“The nation is being divided on religious lines. They aremaking it a fight between masjid and mandir,” he said.
“Our fight is for taking the country forward and together…wewant to keep those parties out which are out to divide us as Muslims andHindus,” Abdullah said.
He alleged that the government of India was “using armedforces” for election gains.
“They have nothing to show to the people about their ruleand that is why they are using forces for elections,” Abdullah said.
Hitting out at New Delhi for allegedly failing to tackleissues of unemployment and farmers’ suicides, Abdullah said they promised tobring back all the black money through demonetization.
“The GST (Goods and Services Tax) was another jumla(sentence). But everything is evident now how they destroyed the country,” hesaid.
Condemning the attack on a Muslim family in Gurgaon, Abdullahsaid the government of India was silent over the incident “because they (thevictims) are Muslims. They don’t matter to them (the government). I’m tellingyou.”
He asked the Peoples Democratic Party president MehboobaMufti not to “lie” about transfer of seven power projects by the then stategovernment to the union power ministry.
“She (Mehbooba) said Omar sahib (Omar Abdullah) handed over the projects to Delhi. It was me as the chief minister who talked to Delhi after it refused to give a counter guarantee (on lifting loans from market for setting up projects).
I signed a memorandum with (then union) power minister S Kumaramanglam under which the projects had to be returned to the state under BOOT pattern (Build, Own Operate and Return).
We got back two projects—Baglihar and 1800-MW Sawlakote. We built Baglihar but unfortunately her father (Mufti Muhammad Sayeed) stopped construction of Sawlakote and it has not been constructed till date,” said Abdullah.
The National Conference leader said had he been the PrimeMinister, he would have worked to “make India a secular country”.
Welcoming entry of Priyanka Gandhi into politics, Abdullahsaid it was not only good for the Congress but entire India.