Kolkata, Jan 21: Former chief minister Farooq Abdullah Sunday said the Valley went through its worst phase under the Mehbooba Mufti-led PDP-BJP government as the two parties in power communalised Hindus and Muslims.
“The situation in Kashmir became the worst under the previous government we had of the PDP and BJP. One communalised the Hindus and the other communalised the Muslims,” Abdullah said, addressing a session ‘the illusion of peace’ at the Apeejay Kolkata Literary Festival here.
“The people of Kashmir were never communal. So rise of communalism can be the worst thing happening there. But I urge people not to lose hope. There still is a ray of hope,” the National Conference president said.
Attacking the BJP government at the Centre, Abdullah said people are given “cooked up” information by the ruling regime about the “nation’s progress”, and stressed that everyone should “come together to reinstate peace and harmony in the country”.
“We are going through a very difficult period in our nation. Lies are being thrown… media has been bought. A lot of what you read (in the newspapers) is not true. The figures that are given about our prosperity and progress are wrong, cooked up,” he claimed.
“Today is the time to pray… So while you pray for yourself, pray also for the nation. Pray for the unity in diversity. We need to work out how to build a nation where everyone can live in peace and harmony,” the veteran politician said.
He also claimed that Prime Minister NarendraModi’s surprise visit to Nawaz Sharif’s house in 2015, failed to carry forward the peace talks between the two nations as bilateral talks should be a continuous process. “Modi went to Pakistan and attended a ceremony at the then Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif’s house, but that is not what carrying the talks forward would mean. You have to continue the process of dialogue so that the process does not stop. Talking today and then talking after a year is not the way,” he said.
“I do not think the Prime Minister should be the first one to talk. Before the PM talks, there should be others building the agenda that can be put before the two leaders and put before parliament of both the countries,” he added.(Agencies)
