J&K: Farooq Abdullah Hits Back at Amit Shah With List of NC ‘Achievements’

Srinagar: National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Thursday underlined major development works taken during his party’s rule in Jammu and Kashmir as he hit back at Union home minister Amit Shah, who termed the former’s tenure as a ‘waste’, during his visit to the region.  

In a statement, the former chief minister said that J&K had witnessed eras of development, ushering its people into political, economic and social empowerment. “The incumbent regime has and may again claim credit for all of this but propaganda and facts are two different things,” Farooq Abdullah was quoted as saying.

The home minister visited the Union Territory on Monday and addressed two rallies -- in Rajouri area of Jammu and Baramulla district of North Kashmir. During his address, Shah launched a scathing attack on previous governments and regional political parties, including National Conference (NC) and its former ally, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), accusing them of corruption and mishandling the region during their respective rules. Shah asked Abdullah to account for the development during the years NC was in power.

Shah lauded Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party’s JP rule for bringing development and peace to the region. He accused the regional parties in J&K of pushing “guns and stones” in the hands of youth which, he claimed, was replaced by “jobs and laptops” by the current government. Both NC and PDP leaders vehemently denounced Shah’s claims.

“The sacrifices of my colleagues over the last 35 years where scores of NC leaders and workers have been killed or injured by these very guns Amit Shah ji accused us of distributing, is the only answer this accusation needs,” Farooq said.

The region’s oldest party listed what they termed “achievements” of various NC governments from 1947 to 2014, saying it was a snapshot of some of the work that was carried out.

“Ultimately, people will be the judge of what has & hasn’t been achieved. Perhaps now Amit Shah ji can share with the people of J&K what has been achieved in the last 3 1/2 years of central rule in J&K,” the statement further read.

National Conference formed government in J&K between 1948-53, 1977-83, 1986-1989, 1996-2002 and 2008-14 led by Sheikh Abdullah, Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah. Since the outbreak of insurgency in the region, hundreds of NC workers have been killed and targeted by militant groups in sabotage acts.

Farooq Abdullah, 82, said that the erstwhile state of J&K has emerged as one of the best despite violence and turmoil highlighting various development indices of J&K.

“Despite the decades of turmoil, J&K state rose to the top among Indian states in terms of major development indices. The list could be broader, more exhaustive,” Farooq said.

Shah’s remarks were also criticised by PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, who said that the BJP leader had nothing to show.

“Dedicating his speech to answer my questions, HM forgets that Mufti (Sayeed) Sahab was CM for just 3.5 years and doesn’t need validation from him for his work for welfare of J&K. Even after ruling J&K directly since 2018, BJP has nothing to show except their broken record of dynastic rule,” she tweeted.