BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh
Credit: PTI Photo
Srinagar: Those who have been supporting Pakistan and have always tried to divide people, are now seeking votes in the name of unity, BJP's national general secretary Tarun Chugh on Saturday said, hitting out at NC chief Farooq Abdullah.
Chugh said Abdullah's remarks on unity in the country was a "filmy drama" and that he was "shedding crocodile tears" at the time of elections.
Earlier in the day, National Conference (NC) president Abdullah said India is known for unity in diversity and governments must protect every religion. The remark came a day after the Assam Assembly scrapped a two-hour 'namaz' break provided to Muslim legislators on Fridays.
"This country is known for unity in diversity. We have every religion and every language, be it Tamil Nadu, Kashmir, Bengal or Maharashtra, any state, every state has a different culture and that is why India is a federal structure and we have to protect every religion," the NC president said.
Chugh, however, said the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister's talk of unity was nothing but political drama.
"He (Abdullah) has been raising his voice as the polls are happening. He is shedding crocodile tears," the BJP's in-charge for J-K, said during a press conference here.
Sharpening his attack on the NC president, Chugh said, "When Kashmiri Pandits were forced to leave from Kashmir, you were the chief minister, it was your duty to stop the fight among the brothers who were living together for centuries. This is nothing but a filmy drama." The BJP leader said those who used the Jammu and Kashmir assembly just for talking about autonomy are "now talking about unity" and asked, "How dual faced is this?"
"Those who have been supporting Pakistan and have always tried to create a division among people, are now seeking votes in the name of unity," he added.
Chugh said while the BJP talks of development of J-K, the NC is "trying to push J-K back to stone-pelting and violence".
"They (NC leaders) want to push back J-K to the dark era by replacing laptops and mobiles with stones. They want to turn Kashmir which is now a tourism capital back to terrorism capital," he added. He, however, claimed that the NC will get a befitting reply from the people of J-K.
The BJP leader also accused the NC of trying to snatch reservation rights from Gujjars, Bakarwals and Paharis.
He said the NC's manifesto for the assembly polls is a "tale of lies".
"On one hand, Omar Abdullah is saying he will restore Articles 370 and 35A, but on the other, his father is saying it will take 100 years. What is this?" he added.
On Leader of Opposition in the Lok Sabha Rahul Gandhi's visit to J-K for election campaign, Chugh said "political tourism" is taking place only because there is peace in the region.
"He (Gandhi) did not come to J-K for 50 years, but now, both he and his sister are playing snowballs here. It is only because of the peace ensured by Modi government. This is a certificate for the good work," he said.
"He takes photos while relishing ice cream. Rahul ji, this is the same Lal Chowk where you had created stone-pelters. Today Modi has handed computers to those youth. They are building their own future as well as the future of the country," he added.
The BJP leader said the party will contest the assembly polls with its full might without any alliance.
Elections to the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly will be held in three phases on September 18, September 25 and October 1 and the results declared on October 4.