Srinagar: National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday defended his father Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah’s decision to support accession of Jammu and Kashmir with India.
In an informal interaction with media persons here, he said with that decision the people of Jammu and Kashmir were saved from the domination of Punjabis.
“People of Jammu and Kashmir would not have progressed this much if we had not acceded to India. The land to tiller and free education were remarkable moves which completely changed the lives of common people,” Dr Abdullah.
The NC President, however, hastened to add that his father had not imagined that Jammu and Kashmir will have to see the present “difficult days”. “In a secular India, he had never imagined so much of communal polarisation of present times and what happened with Jammu and Kashmir,”he said.
Dr Abdullah regretted he not having listened to the advice of his father not to join politics. “ He advised me not to join politics but I did not listen to him and was adamant,”he said.
The NC President regretted that even his son, Omar Abdullah, former chief minister, did not listen to his (Farooq’s) advice not to join politics. “ After Omar did his degree in economics, I wanted him to do business and become a billionaire so that I can relax in the old days of my life. But he did not listen to me and became a politician,” he said.
Dr Abdullah stated that his love for Golf will always remain with him. “If I am alive it is only because of Golf, otherwise I would have been dead by now,”he said. The NC President told media persons not to ask him provocative questions at this age. “I lose my cool and hit right, left and centre,”he said.
To a question, that NC Members of Parliament (MPs) are not usually raising important issues in Parliament, Dr Farooq said they should be appreciated for speaking in Parliament as they are being considered “ anti-national.” “We have to follow the set procedure there and cannot violate it,”he said.
He alleged that the Kashmir Files film has been made to target him and to launch a disinformation campaign against him.
Omar Abdullah, who was also present, said “unprecedented uncertainty” is prevailing in Jammu and Kashmir. “Nobody knows what is going to happen and what is in store the next day,”he said. NC Vice President alleged that people are being disempowered with every passing day and political leaders cannot sit silent. “We have our role and we are playing it,”he said.
Omar said it is not yet clear when exactly the assembly polls are held. “It is not also known how powerful a chief minister can be after polls. We also do not know whether a Municipal Commissioner will be more powerful than a chief minister,”he added.
NC Vice President said the next assembly will not be fought on “Bijli, Paani, aur Sadak” but on important issues. “ In past I used to advocate to contest polls on governance issue. But same is not the case this time, “he added.
Omar admitted that his government’s relation with media in 2010 were not that good. “At that time the need of the hour was to restore peace. Some people tell me that Mufti Muhammad Sayeed government had kept a good equation with media. Those are the things of past, now we have to look towards present and future,”he said.
Asked about the allegation of his erstwhile party colleague and now BJP leader Devender Singh Rana that NC was ready to form government with BJP after assembly elections in 2014, Omar said,” If it was true that we were ready to surrender and support BJP, why then BJP formed government with PDP. I am telling you it is not true what he has said.” Omar stated that Rana’s leaving NC hurt him the most in his political career.” I was never this much hurt. Because, he did not tell us why he was leaving ,”he said.
The informal interaction was organised by the newly constituted Media Cell of National Conference. Tavir Sadiq, Imran Nabi Dar, Sarah Hayat Shah, Ifrah Jan were among others present.