Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Farooq Abdullah accuses Modi of wanting to create a 'rift' among people

While addressing a rally, Abdullah said the opposition alliance will 'undo the wrongdoings' committed during the BJP rule.

Srinagar: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah said on Thursday that the INDIA bloc is fighting against Prime Narendra Modi's attempts to "create a rift among people" and the opposition alliance will "undo the wrongdoings" committed during the BJP rule.

"The Election Commission has to be changed and made independent. The judiciary has to be made independent as it is the place where people get justice if they do not get justice anywhere else.

"Many things have to be set right. Those have to be made governors who can serve people and not Delhi. Many incapable people have been put in many institutions, but we have to save those institutions," he said.

Abdullah was addressing an NC and Congress joint Lok Sabha rally at Congress party headquarters and later NC workers at his party's headquarters Nawa-i-Subah after its candidate from Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency, Aga Syed Ruhullah Mehdi, submitted nomination papers.

"I pray that the INDIA alliance is successful in Delhi so that Ambedkar's Constitution is saved and it will undo the wrongdoings committed," the former J-K chief minister said.

Abdullah claimed that the Constitution was in danger.

"You saw what the prime minister said in Rajasthan. He tried to shred the Indian Constitution into pieces. The Indian Constitution provides dignity to everyone," Abdullah said.

"The PM of the country has to speak for all and has to protect all... he is like a father. He should not differentiate between people on religious lines or food habits or languages. He has to serve everyone whether they belong to his party or not," he said and expressed disappointment at Modi's speech.

Abdullah alleged Modi wanted to "break the country and separate people on the religious lines".

"He (Modi) wants to create a rift among the people. The INDIA alliance is fighting against that. The INDIA alliance wants to keep the country united and safeguard Ambedkar's constitution," he added.

The former Union minister said, "A movement will start from this crown (J-K) which will change the seat of power in Delhi and bring a revolution in the country."

"The BJP wants to dictate to the people what to eat or wear.... They want everyone to be like them. They want to tell you which God to pray to, they want to wipe out everything," he alleged.

The former Union minister said to fight this onslaught, many parties in the opposition came together and formed the INDIA bloc.

Referring to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi's Bharat Jodo Yatra which culminated here on January 30 last year, Abdullah said the Congress scion wants to address the pain and difficulties of the people of Kashmir.

"That was his aim and today also that is his aim. That is why the JKPCC president is here with us," Abdullah said.

For the first time, the NC president on Thursday went inside the Congress party headquarters at M A Road here after Mehdi submitted his nomination papers.

The Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee (JKPCC) chief Vikar Rasool Wani later visited the NC headquarters—also for the first time.

Addressing a gathering, Wani expressed the hope that the INDIA bloc will succeed on the five seats in J-K and one seat in Ladakh.

Wani said that after the 2014 election both the Congress and NC had "tried to tell the PDP that BJP will not desist from implementing its agenda. Then August 5, 2019 happened and our apprehensions were proven right." The JKPCC president claimed the Democratic Progressive Azad Party led by Ghulam Nabi Azad is campaigning only in the Muslim-dominated areas to divide votes.

"You have to stand united to defeat these powers. These parties with symbols like Apple (Sajad Lone-led Peoples Conference), Bat (Altaf Bukhari's Apni Party) and Dustbin (DPAP's symbol is bucket) are all BJP. The lotus is inside them... We have to fight all of them," he said.

"Some people try to defame us by saying that they are a part of the INDIA alliance. They are not. This decision (to support NC) was taken by party high command," the JKPCC president said, adding, "We will crush the BJP" on all seats.