National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah issued a fervent call for national unity and condemned attempts to sow religious discord, accusing Prime Minister Narendra Modi of divisive tactics.
Addressing an election rally in the Thanamandi area of Rajouri district, Abdullah rallied support for party candidate Mian Altaf ahead of the upcoming sixth phase of polling in the Anantnag parliamentary constituency on May 25.
Abdullah asserted, “Do not divide this country on the basis of religion, otherwise, a storm will unleash, making the survival of the country difficult.” He emphasized the need for fostering unity instead of divisive agendas, particularly highlighting the dangers of religious polarisation.
Criticizing Prime Minister Modi’s recent remarks suggesting that the Congress would “redistribute” people’s property if voted to power, Abdullah vehemently rebutted, stating, “We are Muslims and our Allah has told us to respect other religions… A Muslim cannot snatch anyone’s right.” He accused the Prime Minister of stoking tensions between Hindus and Muslims in the country.
Abdullah invoked the legacy of former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi, citing an incident in Pulwama where Gandhi stopped his vehicle during a visit to assure a poor Hindu woman of assistance. He emphasized that the Congress-led INDIA bloc was formed to counter the challenges posed by the present dispensation, which he claimed, threatens the survival of the nation and its Constitution.
Asserting the ethos of India’s Constitution, Abdullah underscored that the people of Jammu and Kashmir chose Mahatma Gandhi’s India over Pakistan in 1947 due to the principle of equality among Hindus, Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists, and Christians. He reminded the audience of the sacrifices made by people of all religions during the struggle for independence, contrasting it with what he alleged as the British-appeasing stance of the ‘Sangh.’
Abdullah’s rally in Rajouri signals a fervent plea for secularism and national harmony in the face of escalating political tensions.