KL Report
SRINAGAR
In a direct attack on National Conference President Dr Farooq Abdullah, Bharatiya Janata Party prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi has accused Abdullah and his family for communalising the political atmosphere in Kashmir. Modi also asked Abdullah not to give lessons to people on secularism. “If we want to talk about secularism then I want to say – we are secular not because the word was added in the Constitution. We have believed in Sarva Pantha Sambhav. We believe ‘the truth is one, there are ways to reach it”, he said.
Accusing Abdullah and his family further, Modi said, “In our culture of thousands of years, the biggest harm on secular fabric done anywhere is done in J&K and it is done due to politics of your father, yourself and your son. It is due to your politics and politics of your son. Kashmir is the only land from where Pandits were removed solely for their religion. The land of Sufism and harmony has been made communal due to your politics. You talk of drowning those who vote for Modi but you have committed sin of making Kashmir communal. Such words do not suit you. And if someone has to drown please look in the mirror and see who should drown. How can those who removed Kashmiri Pandits talk of secularism? You cannot insult our values and culture like this.”
“I want to tell Farooq Abdullah, that secularism is in our blood, not just in our constitution,” he said.
“India never differentiates between people of different religions. That is our culture,” he said.
“The biggest attack on secularism happened in Kashmir and it happened because of the politics of your father (Sheikh Abdullah),” he said.
“What you have said about drowning ourselves does not bring you glory. It is your family that destroyed secularism. The biggest injury to secularism has happened in Kashmir under your father’s regime. You are responsible to have forced migration of Kashmiri Pandits from Kashmir,” he said.
Pertinently, Union minister Farooq Abdullah had on Sunday stated that Kashmir wouldn’t be part of an India that is “communal” and that those who “vote for Modi should jump into the sea”.
