Farooq Abdullah's remarks seditious, anti-national: BJP; NC says his statements have been twisted

BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said that the National Conference MP and former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir in an interview to a TV channel stated that "with China's support" Article 370 of the Constitution, which conferred special status to Jammu and Kashmir, will be restored. Addressing a press conference at the party office in the national capital, Patra claimed Abdullah has also justified China's recent aggression at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) by saying that the abrogation of Article 370 by the Indian parliament has irked and disturbed the communist country.

The BJP on Monday accused National Conference supremo Farooq Abdullah of making "seditious and anti-national" statements on the issue of restoring the special status of Jammu and Kashmir, a charge vehemently denied by the regional party which alleged that the BJP had twisted his remarks. BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra said that the National Conference MP and former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir in an interview to a TV channel stated that "with China's support" Article 370 of the Constitution, which conferred special status to Jammu and Kashmir, will be restored.

Addressing a press conference at the party office in the national capital, Patra claimed Abdullah has also justified China's recent aggression at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) by saying that the abrogation of Article 370 by the Indian parliament has irked and disturbed the communist country. "Abdullah remarks are seditious and anti-national" and have made him a "hero in China", the BJP leader said, underlining that Article 370 was abrogated in a "constitutional manner" by the Indian parliament.

But the NC denied that Abdullah had said Article 370 would be restored with the help of China. It also affirmed that Abdullah never justified China's expansionist mindset or its aggression during his interview on Sunday as claimed by Patra at the presser in New Delhi earlier in the day. "Our President articulated the people's anger over the abrogation of Article 370 and 35-A by Parliament on August 5 last year as he has consistently done in recent months. He emphasised that no one in Jammu and Kashmir was willing to accept these changes," an NC spokesman said.

He claimed that Abdullah's comments on China in response to a question have been "completely twisted" by Patra. "Dr Abdullah never said that together with China we will bring back Article 370 as Mr Patra claimed at a media briefing in which he also misquoted some previous statements of Dr Abdullah," the NC spokesman said.

Patra had said it is painful and worrisome when a former chief minister and sitting MP makes such a statement and "justifies the expansionist attitude of China". Parliamentarians from opposition parties have the right to attack and criticise the government, but "does it suit a sitting MP to speak against the interests of his own country out of frustration against Prime Minister Narendra Modi", he said.

Drawing parallels between the remarks of Abdullah and Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, Patra said they both have a similar mindset and are two sides of the same coin. "It is not just Farooq Abdullah who makes such statements. Rahul Gandhi also does so. If you look back into history and listen to the recent statements of Rahul Gandhi, you will find that both these leaders are two sides of the same coin," Patra said.

He said that by questioning the Balakot airstrike, Rahul Gandhi had become a hero in Pakistan and, similarly, with the recent remarks "Abdullah has become a hero in China."