BJP responsible for rising terrorism: Farooq Abdullah

Srinagar, Sep 08: National Conference (NC) President Farooq Abdullah Sunday said that the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was responsible for the rising terrorism and asked the saffron party if repealing Article 370 had ended terrorism.

Speaking to reporters at Naseem Bagh mausoleum of NC founder and former Prime Minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, after paying tributes to the party founder on his 42nd death anniversary, the NC President said, “They repealed Article 370 (of the constitution) but did terrorism end? Terrorism is rising again and it is all BJP’s responsibility.”

He said that the BJP top brass was focusing its election campaign on Jammu as they wanted to “intimidate” the voters of Jammu and the voters of Kashmir by creating false fears.

Abdullah also accused the BJP of misleading the people by claiming that terrorism would rise again if the NC and Congress alliance came to power in J&K.

“They (BJP) want to threaten a particular community. They think that community will vote for them but today that community has changed,” he said.

Abdullah was responding to why Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah were campaigning in Jammu while ignoring Kashmir.

Reacting to Shah’s criticism of the NC-Congress coalition during his visit to Jammu, the former chief minister said he was only trying to tarnish his party.

“But, Allah willing, they won't succeed. Our efforts will pave the way to serve for the betterment of our people. The Home Minster can keep saying as much about us as he wants but I want to tell him that we are not against the Bharat but against that Bharat, which they want to create. Bharat belongs to all – Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, and Buddhists,” he said.

“We are not intruders. We have an equal contribution towards the freedom of India,” Abdullah said.

On restoring statehood, he said that the NC-Congress alliance would get it back.

On the BJP’s manifesto for J&K polls, he said it was just “rhetoric”.

Earlier, the NC President and Vice President Omar Abdullah led the party in offering floral tributes and Fatiha at the mausoleum of Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah on his 42nd death anniversary.