Nehru not responsible for Article 370: Farooq Abdullah

Samaan Lateef

Srinagar, December 12

National Conference leader Farooq Abdullah has said the first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru, can’t be held responsible for Article 370. This statement comes in response to Home Minister Amit Shah’s recent attribution of the Kashmir problem to Nehru during a parliamentary session where he highlighted perceived “mistakes” in the form of an “untimely” ceasefire and internationalising the issue at the United Nations. Farooq, expressing disappointment over the Supreme Court’s order upholding the abrogation of Article 370, countered Shah’s claim, stating, “I don’t know why they have venom against Nehru. Nehru is not responsible. When Article (370) came, Sardar Patel was there. Nehru was in America when the Cabinet meeting happened. Shyama Prasad Mukherjee was also present when the decision was taken.”

Blames BJP for Kashmir situation

• Farooq triggers a controversy, stating “let Kashmir go to hell”. As the controversy started playing on various news channels, Farooq clarified by posing questions to the BJP and accusing the party of “turning heaven on earth into hell”.
• BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla termed it “true face of INDI Alliance”, stating nepotism, stone pelting had ended.

The former CM of the erstwhile state continued, “The matter was in their hands from the beginning. Let’s see what happens in future.”

The Supreme Court on Monday unanimously upheld the revocation of Article 370.

Farooq expressed his desire for immediate elections. He also accused the BJP of turning the erstwhile state “into hell” by downgrading it to a UT. The Lok Sabha MP from Srinagar triggered a controversy when he mentioned earlier “let Kashmir go to hell”. However, as it started playing on various news channels, Farooq clarified by posing questions to the BJP and accusing the party of turning heaven on earth into hell. The BJP has been accusing the Abdullah dispensation and his successive governments of mismanaging the affairs of J&K which led to the rise of terrorism in the erstwhile state. BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla reacted to Abdullah’s statement, posting, “After DMK demanding self-determination, now Farooq says this! Merely because SC upheld the abrogation of 370 which has ended politics of ‘parivarvaad’ (nepotism) and ‘pathar baazi’ (stone pelting) and ‘Pakistan parasti’ (support)! This is INDI Alliance’s true face! They want (Article) 370 back and they don’t care about J&K at all.” (With inputs)