Lucknow, Aug 24: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath lashed out at the Congress-NC alliance for the Jammu and Kashmir Assembly polls on Saturday, saying the “political ground” of the two political parties that “reaped the harvest of hatred has become barren forever”.
He also slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying his party has “again put its anti-national intentions in front of the country by allying with the National Conference of Abdullah and Sons Family Private Limited”.
Talking to reporters at his official residence at 5, Kalidas Marg here, Adityanath claimed that there are several points in the NC’s manifesto for the Jammu and Kashmir polls that raise apprehensions about India’s unity, integrity, and national security.
“The political ground of the Congress and the NC, which harvested the crop of hatred, has become barren forever,” he said, adding that the issue of terrorism and separatism has merged with the water of the Chenab River.
Lashing out at Gandhi, the leader of the opposition in the Lok Sabha, Adityanath said, “The Congress, which is leading the INDI alliance in this important election, has again put its anti-national intentions in front of the country by allying with the National Conference of Abdullah and Sons Family Private Limited.”
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader said the Congress-NC alliance raises many big questions about national security and also worries every person who has true faith and loyalty towards the Constitution.
“I want to ask the Congress leader whether his party supports the NC’s assertion for a separate flag for Jammu and Kashmir again. Does Rahul Gandhi and Congress support the NC’s declaration to push Jammu and Kashmir back to the era of unrest and terrorism by bringing back Articles 370 and 35A (of the Constitution)? Is the Congress again supporting separatist forces by negotiating with Pakistan, instead of the youngsters of Kashmir?” he asked.
“This conspiracy of the Congress forces us to ask questions. Rahul Gandhi should answer these questions before the country,” he added.
Adityanath also alleged that the anti-reservation face of the Congress has been exposed before the country through its alliance with the NC.
Uttarakhand CM Pushkar Singh Dhami too joined the chorus saying Congress allied with NC due to its ‘lust for power’.
The Congress allied with the National Conference for the assembly polls in Jammu and Kashmir due to its “lust for power”, Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami on Saturday.
Dhami also posed 10 questions to the Congress and its leader Rahul Gandhi and asked them to explain why the party allied with the National Conference and the Abdullah family.
He alleged that the Abdullahs “pushed back” Jammu and Kashmir for three decades and “ruined” it.
Describing the National Conference as a party that fomented separatism and terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, Dhami said, “(Rahul) Gandhi owes an explanation to the nation on whether, by allying with the National Conference, he supports the party’s promise of a separate flag for Jammu and Kashmir and restoration of Article 370.”
“Gandhi and his party must explain whether they want to push Jammu and Kashmir back into disorder. Does he support separatism and cross-border terrorism and the National Conference’s decision to resume trade with Pakistan?” Dhami asked during a press conference.
He also described the Congress as a party that always played with the country’s unity and integrity due to its lust for power.
Dhami alleged that the alliance exposed the Congress’ true intentions.
He said the Congress spread a lie during the Lok Sabha polls that if the Narendra Modi government returned to power at the Centre, the system of reservation would come to an end.
“Would he (Rahul Gandhi) explain if, by allying with the National Conference, he supports its agenda of ending the quotas for Gujjar Bakarwals and the hill people of Jammu and Kashmir?” Dhami asked.
Polls to the 90-member Jammu and Kashmir Assembly will be held in three phases — September 18, September 25 and October 1. The counting of votes will be held on October 4.
National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah on Thursday announced a pre-poll alliance with the Congress for the assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir, which is going to the polls for the first time since the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.
The regional party’s vice-president Omar Abdullah on Friday said the seat-share arrangement with the Congress had been finalised for a majority of constituencies and that parleys were underway to reach a consensus over the remainder.
