Ex-Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah has once again landed himself in controversy after he made another controversial statement, stating that he wished that Article 370 will be restored in Jammu and Kashmir with China’s help.
In an interview to India Today TV, Abdullah stated that China was against New Delhi’s decision to abrogate Articles 370, which was scrapped in August last year by Parliament.
“Whatever they are doing at LAC in Ladakh all because of the abrogation of Article 370, which they never accepted. I am hopeful that with their support, Article 370 will be restored in J&K,” Farooq Abdullah said.
“I never invited the Chinese President, it was [PM] Modi who not only invited him but did jhoola sawari with him. He [PM Modi] even took him to Chennai and had food with him,” Abdullah further said.
“May Allah wish that our people get help from their might and our Articles 370 and 35-A get restored,” Abdullah said. The Modi government revoked Article 370 and 35A from Jammu and Kashmir on August 5, 2019, which gave special status to the state.
National spokesperson of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Sambit Patra slammed Farooq Abdullah for his controversial statement.
“On September 24, Farooq Abdullah said that if you go to Jammu and Kashmir and ask people if they are Indians, then people will say that we are not Indians. In the same statement, he also said that it would be good if we could join China,” Patra said in a press conference.
He said that Abdullah’s statement is a reflection of his mindset. “In a way, Farooq Abdullah justifies China’s expansionist mindset in his interview. At the same time, another traitor comments that if we get a chance in future, we will bring Article 370 back with China.”
National Conference chairperson Farooq Abdullah was among the various Jammu and Kashmir leaders who were detained under Public Safety Act on August 5 last year after the Centre abrogated Article 370. He was released in March.
