KL Desk
Srinagar
Union Health Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad Saturday demanded stern action against National Conference (NC) leader Mustafa Kamal for terming India as an “enemy” country. Azad was responding to questions at a function.
Azad rejected the clarification given by union New and Renewable Energy Minister Dr. Farooq Abdullah and his brother Kamal on the issue. Abdullah termed the utterances of Kamal, as “irresponsible”.
“I have seen the compact disc in which Mustafa Kamal has clearly said that he (Kamal) had no hesitation in saying that India is our enemy country, Pakistan is not.
“There is no question of the statement having been blown out of context as Kamal later claimed,” Azad said.
“A person who himself is spokesperson of the party, uncle of Chief Minister Omar Abdullah, should be punished for his “anti-India remarks,” Azad demanded.
“I condemn his remarks and ask NC to take action against the concerned leader,” the health minister said.
In the speech that caused the controversy, Kamal had said, “Pakistan had offered a no-war pact with India. Why does India not agree to it? If India carries on with such attitude, then I have no hesitation in saying that our (Kashmiris’) biggest enemy is our own country, not Pakistan.”
These comments had outraged the leaders of the Congress, alliance partner of the NC in the Jammu and Kashmir coalition government.
Later, Kamal issued a clarification and said, “My history is known to everyone, my family’s legacy and my political career of several decades is testimony to my credentials and today you call Mustafa Kamal anti-national. It deeply hurts me, what I said has been blown out of context.”
