NEW DELHI: The BJP leaders on Monday lashed out at senior Congress leader P Chidambaram for his comments that the Article 370 was abrogated by the Modi government because it was a Muslim dominated state.
“This is an unfortunate statement. This statement can only instigate people,” BJP leader and Union Law Minister Ravi Shankar Prasad told reporters.
All these years, many people lost lives in Kashmir and these included Muslims also, he said.
“The abrogation of Article 370 was a decision taken in national interest. In the name of Article 370, all these years even Muslims faced discrimination and injustice. Gujjars, Bakarwals and other tribals were deprived of reservation rights,” Mr Prasad said adding Muslim women of Jammu and Kashmir also suffered discrimination.
Another BJP leader Dr Subramanian Swamy also criticised former Union Home Minister P Chidambaram for his reported remarks.
Dr Swamy said the Congress party which claims of bringing liberation to the country is today toeing the line of an enemy nation – that is Pakistan.
Union Minister Giriraj Singh took a pot shot at the Congress party for making Sonia Gandhi as interim Congress president.
“For the first time in history, I have heard a mother is getting the inheritance right after her son…,” he said sarcastically on Congress Working Committee’s decision to make Sonia Gandhi the interim president as Rahul Gandhi stuck to his decision to quit as party chief after recent defeat in the polls.
(agencies)