Omar Abdullah has sharply criticised Pakistan following comments by Pakistani Defence Minister Khwaja Asif, who claimed that Pakistan and the National Conference (NC)-Congress alliance shared a common stance on the restoration of Article 370. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), has also accused the National Conference and Congress of being “hand in glove with the anti-national forces”, in light of the Pakistani minister’s remarks.
Speaking to ANI while campaigning for next month’s Jammu and Kashmir Assembly elections—being held for the first time since the abrogation of Article 370 and Article 35A five years ago—former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Omar Abdullah said that Pakistan should refrain from interfering in India’s electoral processes and instead focus on its own democratic issues.
He said, “What does Pakistan have to do with us? We are not even a part of Pakistan; let them take care of their country. I don’t think they should interfere in our elections or comment on our elections. They should save their democracy, we are participating in ours.”
Home Minister Amit Shah launched an attack on the Opposition parties, accusing them of being in sync with Pakistan. Shah said that the remarks by Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif confirmed that Pakistan and Congress shared “the same intentions and agenda.”
He wrote on X in Hindi, “Pakistan defence minister’s statement about the Congress and the JKNC’s support on Article 370 and 35A has once again exposed the Congress. This statement has once again made it clear that the Congress and Pakistan have the same intentions and agenda. For the last few years, Rahul Gandhi has been standing with every anti-India force, hurting the sentiments of the countrymen.”
“Be it asking for proof of (Balakot) air strikes and surgical strikes or saying objectionable things about the Army, the tone of Rahul Gandhi and Pakistan has always been the same,” Shah added in the post.
BJP IT cell chief Amit Malviya said the Congress was always seen on the side of those “inimical to India’s interest”.
“Pakistan, a terrorist state, endorses Congress and National Conference’s position on Kashmir. How is it that, from (Gurpatwant) Pannun to Pakistan, Rahul Gandhi and his Congress are always seen on the side of those inimical to India’s interest?” Malviya tweeted.
Recently, Khalistani separatist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun endorsed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi’s remarks on the “existential threat” to the Sikh community in India.
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla also said “the cat is out of the bag”. “Was there ever any doubt? For the sake of opposing PM Modi, they can even stand with Pakistan,” he said.
Article 370 once provided special status to Jammu and Kashmir, while Article 35A conferred special rights and privileges to its “permanent residents.” On August 5, 2019, the Narendra Modi government abrogated these provisions, and bifurcated the state into two Union Territories—Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.
