Sajad Lone questions NC, PDP silence over issue at Sonia’s meet
A war of words erupted between Sajad Lone’s Peoples Conference (PC) and Dr. Farooq Abdullah’s National Conference (NC) on Saturday, a day after the virtual meeting of 19 Opposition parties, chaired by Congress president Sonia Gandhi, stayed silent on the issue of reading down of Article 370.
Taking on the NC and Mehbooba Mufti’s Peoples Democratic Party, who participated in Ms. Gandhi’s meeting, Mr. Lone said, “No mention of Article 370 in the Opposition parties meet. In wonderment how can J&K leaders justify their presence in the meeting if they could not convince the leaders to talk about Article 370. BJP anti-370 stance is clear. What is the national Opposition’s stance?”
Mr. Lone was not invited for the meeting. The joint statement issued at the end of the meeting spoke of the need to restore statehood to J&K.
“Let us at least resolve that if we can’t facilitate we will not impede either. Leaders from J&K should either get the national Opposition endorse the demand for Article 370 so that at the national level there is some hope at a future date or just keep out of it,” Mr. Lone said.
Responding to the accusations, several NC leaders, in a joint statement, accused Mr. Lone of “changing narratives”.
“His only permanent character is that of a pendulum, which keeps on swinging from one extreme to another. From joining the Peoples Alliance for the Gupkar Declaration to leaving it, he has only damaged the cause of restoration of Article 370 and 35 A,” the statement said.
They said NC and other like-minded parties and individuals did not need Mr. Lone’s certificate for their commitment to fight for restoration of Article 370.
Earlier this year, Mr. Lone quite the PAGD as its spokesman.
Restore 370: Mufti
Meanwhile, Ms. Mufti, who addressed a rally in Kulgam, asked the Centre to restore Article 370 and resolve Kashmir through dialogue to ensuring peace in J&K and the sub-continent.
“The Government of India must restore J&K’s special status, which they snatched illegally on August 5, 2019 and also resolve the Kashmir issue through dialogue,” she said.
Ms. Mufti accused the BJP of misusing national investigation agencies “to crush the dissent in Kashmir”.
“If better sense doesn’t prevail in BJP camp, India is all set to break into parts on communal and religious lines,” she warned.
Commenting on the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan, Ms. Mufti urged the Taliban not to commit any act that forces the world to go against them. “Role of guns is over in Afghanistan,” she said.
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