Suhail Bhat
SRINAGAR, May 8: National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah today said that they had aligned themselves with Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru’s vision of India, where all individuals were treated equally irrespective of their religious beliefs, rather than with Modi’s India, which allegedly favored one faith over others.
Dr Abdullah made these remarks during an election rally in South Kashmir’s Tral area, where he came to endorse his party’s candidate for the Srinagar Lok Sabha seat, Agha Roohullah.
Addressing the gathering, he emphasized their alignment with the inclusive ethos of Mahatma Gandhi and Jawaharlal Nehru’s India, where individuals of all faiths, including Hindus, Sikhs, and Christians, were treated equally, contrasting it with Modi’s India, where he alleged that only one faith was promoted while others are marginalized.
Farooq criticized Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his divisive rhetoric. “We did not align with Modi’s India, where he seeks to promote only one faith while denigrating others. Listen to Modi’s statements; he propagates fear among Hindus by falsely claiming that Muslims have higher birth rates. Despite Hindus constituting 70% of India’s population compared to Muslims’ 22 crore, he instills baseless fears, alleging that Congress will seize Hindu women’s Mangalsutras, confiscate properties, and redistribute them among Muslims,” he said.
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Abdullah urged Prime Minister Modi to refrain from making derogatory remarks and reminded him of his responsibility to represent all Indian citizens, regardless of their political affiliations. “It is disheartening, Prime Minister. You are the leader of all Indians, whether they voted for you or not. When you represent India internationally, you represent every citizen. We never anticipated such lowly and derogatory comments from you,” he said.
He said that they could have joined Pakistan but they chose this county because of its inclusive nature. “All rivers and roads lead to Pakistan, but we chose to stay in this country due to its inclusive ethos. However, the India being shaped by the Prime Minister today is unacceptable,” Abdullah declared, citing instances where the people of various faiths stood united against external threats to preserve the country’s unity.
Abdullah also addressed the concerns of the people regarding the threat to their land and employment opportunities. “Today, our land and jobs are under threat. The people of Jammu, initially supportive of the abrogation of Article 370, are now regretting it as their jobs and lands are being taken by outsiders. Contracts are awarded to non-locals, depriving locals of their livelihoods,” he said.
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