Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Feb 17: Senior Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader and former minister Bali Bhagat has flayed Farooq Abdullah for his alleged attempts to mislead the people of Jammu by stating, ‘Secular forces of Jammu must come forward to put up a joint front’.
In a statement, the senior BJP leader said that it is really an irony that the National Conference, which is the main culprit behind the ethnic cleansing of Kashmiri Pandits, is today appealing for constituting a secular front just to befool the people of Jammu.
The former minister said that the NC leaders might have forgotten their anti India credentials but people of J&K especially that of Jammu will never forget that Dr Farooq Abdullah was a founder member of JKLF and played a vital role in league with the separatists to ensure the exodus of Kashmiri Pandits from the Valley who were forced to leave their homes and hearths. “NC wanted to create a Hindu-free Kashmir which it has done and it is a big shame for political parties like NC and others of their ilk talking about secularism which they have reduced to smithereens,” he added.
“Had National Conference been really a secular party then KPs would not have had to leave the valley in early 1989-90. Similarly PoJK refugees, Gorkhas, civic Safaikaramcharis, etc who were residing in J&K for the last more than 70 years would not have been deprived of even the basic amenities, not to talk of other rights,” he added.
Bali Bhagat further said that the people know very well how NC has contributed in the development of J&K by using huge funds to develop Kashmir and leaving crumbs for Jammu region. He asserted that BJP is a secular party in the real terms as it is this party that did away with all discrimination against Jammu region and its people.
“This stands proved by the fact that BJP removed all the hurdles that resulted in gross injustice with people of Jammu region by abrogating Articles 370 and 35A. Now the deprived communities are enjoying all the genuine rights like the people across the nation,” he added.
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