Jammu, Mar 04: The communal harmony in Jammu region is “increasingly becoming an eyesore for the Valley-centric political parties” whose leaders are trying to disturb the already fragile harmony through their provocative speeches, State BJP spokesperson alleged Sunday.
Anil Gupta, State spokesperson of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), while referring to the statement of Dr Abdullah made at Chamber House, Jammu, Gupta said that “through selective quoting from history Farooq is not only trying to please his vote-bank but also triggering communal passions.”
He said “Dr Farooq referred to the Cabinet Mission which visited India in 1946 but conveniently ignored to tell his audience that the demand for Pakistan was made by Jinnah much earlier in 1940, known as ‘Lahore Resolution’, calling for the creation of separate states – plural not singular-to accommodate Indian Muslims whom he argued were a separate nation.”
Gupta said “while there was a mass movement against the British rule in 1942 called ‘Quit India movement’, Jinnah’s Muslim League allied with the British in exchange for future political safeguards and did not join the movement but nationalist Muslim leaders like Maulana Azad were jailed by the British.”
He said the timing and venue of such a statement from Dr Farooq Abdullah is intriguing. “He tried to pitch the minority versus the majority at a time when the communal tensions are already running high in part of Jammu region? Rather than trying to pacify the matter, is Dr Abdullah attempting to disturb the delicate communal harmony by making such statements?” questioned Gupta.
He said Dr Abdullah has “mastered the art of misquoting from history or distorting historical facts to suit his political narrative but a leader of his stature needs to use discretion keeping in mind the existing ground realities.”
He said the Jammu-based NC leaders and members of the Chamber also owe an explanation to the people as they were clapping and cheering the statement of Dr Abdullah “that was obviously aimed at creating a rift between the majority and the minority.”
