Farooq Abdullah must apologise or Centre must act: Shiv Sena slams 'anti-national' stance

Days after National Conference chief Farooq Abdullah spoke about restoring Article 370 with the help of China, Shiv Sena has said that action must be taken against him for his anti-national remarks. On Sunday, in Sena mouthpiece Saamana, the party's Rajya Sabha MP and spokesperson Sanjay Raut has said that either Farooq Abdullah must apologise or Centre should take action against him. 

Sanjay Raut said, "Farooq Abdullah has openly said that with the help of China they will restore Article 370. Abdullah should apologise to the nation unconditionally or the Centre should take strongest action against him. Farooq's statement is not only an election issue for Bihar or MP. It is outright anti-national and Home Minister has not responded to it. Now the question rises that Centre had put them in detention because they opposed the abrogation of 370 and now when they are out they are talking about seeking China's help at a time when tensions between Chinese soldiers and the Indian Army are high at the Ladakh border. Why is there no action on Farooq?"

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What Farooq Abdullah had said?

In a recent interview, the 82-year-old parliamentarian had criticised PM Modi for hosting Chinese President in Chennai and had added that China has not accepted the nullification of Article 370. He had said that China had vowed to not stop till Article 370 was restored as it was an 'open issue'. He had expressed his hope that Kashmiris would get help from China's might and the articles - 370 & 35 A is restored. Similarly, he had also urged Centre to initiate talks with Pakistan like China, as border skirmishes were killing citizens in Kashmir.

Lashing out at Abdullah, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said that Abdullah had tried to justify China's aggression along the Line of Actual Control and said that his remark is "seditious". "In the interview, there are two aspects. He stated that since the Indian Parliament abrogated Article 370, it has disturbed China and that's why China is justified for the kind of aggression that it has taken on. In a way, Farooq Abdullah justifies China's expansionist mindset," he said.

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Gupkar alliance

After the release of PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti after 14 months of detention, mainstream Kashmiri politicians who had signed the Gupkar Declaration on August 4, 2019, met at NC chief Farooq Abdullah's residence on Thursday. Signing off on the new Gupkar alliance, NC president Farooq Abdullah affirmed that the Centre must restore the special status of Jammu and Kashmir.  

The Gupkar Declaration was a resolution passed by NC, PDP, Congress, CPI(M), JKPC and ANC on August 4, 2019, pledging to protect the "identity, autonomy and special status" of J&K. Flanked by PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti and his son Omar, Abdullah announced the alliance's name has been changed to 'People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration'. 

READ | Javadekar fumes over demand to restore Art 370, dares Cong to add it in Bihar manifesto

READ | Farooq, Omar visit PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti after release from detention