SRINAGAR: National Conference President and Member of Parliament from Srinagar, Dr. Farooq Abdullah, questioned the “double speak” of the Government of India regarding assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday. “The Centre is saying the situation has normalized in Jammu and Kashmir. One of our local IGs is saying that militancy has declined but not over. Why this double talk?” Farooq said while talking to journalists during his visit to Anantnag.
“If the indices of security have improved, then what is holding them back from holding elections? First it was security, and then it was weather. Now that the weather is clear and the security situation admittedly better. What is it then? When we visited the Election Commission, we were told that the delimitation exercise, voter lists have been completed. All they are doing is managing new excuses every day to delay Assembly elections,” he said.
Responding to a question on the removal of chapters relating to Mughal history from NCERT books, he said, “It’s sheer mockery. What are we going to tell visitors who built the Taj Mahal, Fatehpur Sikri, and many other fascinating buildings/structures? How will you hide the architectural and cultural insignias of Mughals spread across the country? It’s there to remain. People come and go, but history remains unchanged.”
Earlier, as per a statement to GNS, he visited Kokernag to commiserate with senior leader Choudhary Zaffar Ali Khatana on the demise of his brother Choudhary Amjad Ali Khatana. Joined by the party’s local unit and other South Zone functionaries, he expressed sympathies and condolences with the bereaved household and offered Fatiha for the deceased.
Among others, District presidents Altaf Ahmed Wani, Sajad Shaheen, senior leader Abdul Majeed Bhat Larmi, Provincial Vice President Syed Tauqeer Shah, and Reyaz Ahmed Khan accompanied him on the condolence visit. (GNS)
