Ganderbal, Sept 15: National Conference (NC) president Dr Farooq Abdullah on Sunday refuted the claims by some political parties and leaders that the alleged rigging in the 1987 elections triggered terrorism in Jammu & Kashmir.
“Militancy did not start due to NC, and even today there are militants. Are they because of us?” he said while speaking to reporters here.
Abdullah launched a two-day campaign in support of the party’s vice president and candidate for the Ganderbal constituency, Omar Abdullah on Sunday. The campaign kicked off from Bakoora and will continue in Tulmullah, concluding at Baroosa areas of central Kashmir’s Ganderbal district.
The former chief minister criticised Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s handling of Kashmir and questioned the government’s assertion that abrogating Article 370 would end terrorism. He challenged the BJP’s claims, asking, “If Article 370 was responsible for terrorism, now that it’s gone, where is this violence coming from? Who is supplying these weapons?”
He accused the BJP of regularly deceiving the public. “They spread lies day and night,” he said.
On Hizb-ul-Mujahideen leader Syed Salahuddin and the late Hurriyat leader Syed Ali Geelani, Dr Farooq said they were “products of Pakistan, not the National Conference”.
He further dismissed AIP chief Engineer Rashid, calling him “RSS man”. “Why was his release timed with the elections?” he asked.
