Reacting to the statement of National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah who indulged in a blame game while addressing the media on the side-lines of a function organised to pay tributes to its founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah on his 38th death anniversary Brigadier Anil Gupta, Spokesperson of Bharatiya Janata Party stated that he suffered from BJP phobia. While addressing the media Dr Farooq while giving a clean chit to his own party and terming it secular accused BJP of playing communal politics and furthering the agenda of RashtriyaSwayamSewak (RSS). “It appears that the NC president is not only loosing memory but is also forgetting history or is deliberately trying to hide the truth. Whatever may be his intention one thing is definite that certain historical facts remain etched in public memory and cannot be hidden even through best of oratory,” stated Brig Gupta.
Elaborating further Brig Gupta said that the NC was born as a communal party beginning with the instigating speech of Abdul Qadir in the presence of top Muslim leadership including Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah wherein he termed the ruling Maharaja a “Qafir” and questioned his authority of ruling the Muslims and urged the Muslims to revolt against him. Later, in order to please his friend PanditJawahar Lal Nehru of Indian National Congress he changed the name of his newly founded political party from Muslim Conference to National Conference. However, the name change did not change the ideology of the party which has been “exclusivity” from its inception till date, asserted Brig Gupta. History is replete with examples of communal acts of the Abdullah dynasty and NC so much so that one voluminous book can be written on the subject.
However listing a few here would help in rekindling the public memory asserted Brig Gupta. Quit Kashmir movement, Carving out of Muslim majoritydistricts, the greater Muslim Kashmir plan, Recruitment in government jobs from a particular religion/region, Introduction of radical Islam in Kashmir, Recruitment of Jammat cadre as Rehbar-i-Taleem, Denial of citizenship to West Pakistani refugees, Non- inclusion of term ‘secular’ in preamble of state constitution are a few examples. It would therefore be best for Farooq to look inwards before casting aspersions on BJP. I challenge NC to list any scheme of Modi government which has not been “all inclusive” in keeping with its motto of SabkaSaathSabkaVikasSabkaVishwas, stated Brig Gupta.
Explaining the reason of BJP phobia from which NC suffers Brig Gupta said that NC and its leadership is facing an existential threat. Having surveyed the political scenario in Kashmir and sensed the seething anger among the public particularly the youth and the lukewarm response of the awam to Gupkar Declaration 2.0, the top leadership of the party is shell shocked. They have yet not ventured to reach out to the public fearing a strong backlash and are fearful of the presence of BJP in rural Kashmir. BJP and its cadre never deserted the awam and stayed with them through thick and thin thereby building a bond of trust and friendship despite the evil attempts of status quo lobby to scare our cadre through the barrel of the gun asserted Brig Gupta. NC feels that BJP is now sitting on its turf and hence its leadership has resorted to BJP bashing.
Reminding Farooq of the recent communally loaded statement of his son Omar Abdullah, Brig Gupta said that Abdullahs should not repeat the mistake of using communal politics as a ladder for their political survival.