National Conference on Monday asserted that Bhartiya Janta Party (BJP) was using central agencies to target the party President, Farooq Abdullah after failing to politically fight him.
In a statement, a party spokesperson said the Enforcement Directorate (ED) summon to Abdullah was clearly the result of the unity that he has been able to forge among mainstream political parties in J&K.
“This is the price one faces when opposed to BJP’s ideology and divisive politics. Recent history is witness to how BJP has been employing coercive measures through various departments to target opposition leaders across the country. The recent ED summon to Dr Farooq Abdullah is a case in point,” the statement said.
It said the timing of summon was “very clear.” “The previous summons were issued just before Aug 5 last year and today’s summon comes within days of forming the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration of which Dr Farooq Abdullah has taken a lead”
The statement said Abdullah “continues to maintain his innocence and will cooperate with the authorities in what is nothing but a witch hunt.”
Meanwhile, the party leaders vehemently condemned the summons to Abdullah, saying the “measure exudes witch hunt and vengeance.”
In a joint statement, party leaders including Ali Muhammad Sagar, Nasir Aslam Wani, Devender Singh Rana, Muhammad Shafi Uri, Abdul Rahim Rather, Chaudhary Muhammad Ramzan, Mian Altaf Ahmed, Shammi Oberoi, Muhammad Akbar Lone, Hasnain Masoodi, Mubarak Gul, SS Salathia, Ajay Sadhotra, Sakina Itoo, Shameema Firdous, Bimla Luthra, Nazir Ahmed Khan Gurezi, GA Shah, Sajjad Ahmad Kitchloo, Khalid Najeeb Suharwardey, Qamar Ali Akhoon, Ali Muhammad Dar, Bashir Veeri and others condemned the witch hunt and intimidation of Abdullah.
“The motive behind the ED summon to the party President is to deter him from representing the aspirations of people of Jammu and Kashmir,” said the statement.
The leaders said the incumbent dispensation at New Delhi was “employing government machinery and malevolent tactics to subdue” Abdullah’s effort to forge unity among different mainstream political parties.
“This government is doing everything it can to silence the combined voice of people of J&K, which Dr Sahib has been able to forge. Tactics are being employed across the board in the country to stifle the voices of dissent by using all spiteful measures. The party will not duck due to such tactics,” said the leaders.
“We condemn the treatment that is being meted out to Dr Sahab, an octogenarian, senior most politician of J&K, and sitting Member of Parliament from Srinagar,” they said.
The leaders said such tactics will only make the party more resolute towards achieving the goal peacefully and constitutionally.
“The measure also reveals the jittery the present ruling dispensation is going through in the wake of the growing consensus among all mainstream political parties on People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration headed by Dr Farooq Abdullah,” they said.