Bharatiya Janata Party’s J&K unit Thursday accused Jammu and Kashmir National Panthers Party (JKNPP) of being the B-Team of National Conference (NC) in Jammu.
“You have seen the foundation day of JKNPP which claims to be the voice of Jammu. On this foundation day, NC President Farooq Abdullah was the chief guest. We want to ask a question to the JKNPP leadership about what their relationship with NC is?” BJP spokesman R S Pathania said.
NC, Congress and Dogra Sadar Sabha leaders had shared a stage in Jammu’s Dogra Hall on the occasion of the foundation day of JKNPP, triggering a debate whether opposition political parties had formed a common platform against the BJP with the help of JKNPP.
Targeting JKNPP Chairman Harsh Dev Singh, Pathania said, “Last time, you suspended Bhim Singh for drinking tea with Abdullah. Then dramatically you welcomed him into the party.”
Seeking clarification from the JKNPP leadership, he said, “It was you (Harsh Dev Singh) who first hugged Abdullah. On your stage, Farooq Abdullah discussed revocation of Art 370 and Article 35-A. You should clarify whether you agree with his statement or not.” He said in the last 40 years, JKNPP had worked as the B-team of Kashmir-based political parties.
“Political parties in PAGD worked on a one-point agenda of keeping BJP beyond Lakhanpur. However, it was the love of the people and leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi that BJP became popular beyond Jawahar Tunnel,” Pathania said.
He asked the people of Jammu to beware of the agenda of PAGD and their partners in Jammu.
“NC was earlier Muslim Conference. On facing rejection from Jammu, they (NC) used the platform of JKNPP,” he said and targeted the JKNPP Chairman for highlighting his closeness with Kashmir-based political parties including PDP’s founder Mufti Muhammad Sayeed.