A row erupted after Pakistan’s Defence Minister Khwaja Asif said that Pakistan and the Jammu-Kashmir National Conference-Congress alliance share a common goal regarding the restoration of Article 370 in the Union Territory. In an interview with Geo News’ senior journalist Hamid Mir on Capital Talk, Asif affirmed, “Absolutely. Even our demand is also the same,” when asked about Pakistan’s alignment with the National Conference-Congress alliance on restoring Articles 370 and 35A.
The statements from the Pakistani Minister drew flak from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which lashed out at the National Conference and the Congress for playing up the agenda of Pakistan during the Jammu and Kashmir assembly elections.
In a post on X, Union Home Minister Amit Shah lashed out at Lok Sabha LoP Rahul Gandhi and the Congress, saying that it has again been made clear that the grand old party and Pakistan have the same intentions and agenda. Attacking Rahul Gandhi, the Union Home Minister said that he has been standing with every anti-India force, hurting the sentiments of the countrymen.
“Pakistan’s Defence Minister’s statement about Congress and JKNC’s support on Article 370 and 35A has once again exposed Congress. This statement has once again made it clear that Congress and Pakistan have the same intentions and agenda. For the last few years, Rahul Gandhi has been standing with every anti-India force, hurting the sentiments of the countrymen… Congress Party and Pakistan forget that there is Modi Government at the centre, hence neither Article 370 nor terrorism is going to return in Kashmir,” the former BJP chief said.
पाकिस्तान के रक्षा मंत्री का आर्टिकल 370 और 35A पर कांग्रेस और JKNC के समर्थन की बात ने एक बार फिर कांग्रेस को एक्सपोज कर दिया है। इस बयान ने पुनः यह स्पष्ट कर दिया है कि कांग्रेस और पाकिस्तान के इरादे भी एक हैं और एजेंडा भी। पिछले कुछ वर्षों से राहुल गाँधी देशवासियों की भावनाओं…
— Amit Shah (@AmitShah) September 19, 2024
BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala slammed Asif’s remarks and said that the Congress, National Conference, and INDIA bloc are continuously trying to join hands with Pakistan. ” Yeh Rishta Kya Kehlata HaiThe question is, what is this relation of the Congress party and NC with Pakistan called? … We can see how the Congress Party National Conference and INDIA Alliance are continuously trying to join hands with Pakistan,” Poonawala said.
#WATCH | BJP spokesperson Shehzad Poonawala says, “The question is what is this relation of Congress party & NC with Pakistan called?… We can see how the Congress Party National Conference and INDIA Alliance are continuously trying to join hands with Pakistan…” pic.twitter.com/dIgZv2ye4b
— ANI (@ANI) September 19, 2024
Bharatiya Janata Party National General Secretary Tarun Chugh, who is the party’s in charge of the Jammu and Kashmir elections, on Thursday took a strong note of the statement and said, “His statement has completely exposed the NC and the Congress for pursuing the Pakistan agenda.”
“It not only demonstrated Pakistan’s intention to interfere in the J-K elections but also established that the Abdullahs of the NC and the Gandhi family in the Congress have been taking directions from Pakistan forces to cause disruption and disturbance in the territory,” Chugh said.
Chugh sought an explanation from the Abdullahs and the Gandhi family to clarify their links with the Pakistan ISI. “It was reprehensible that an anti-national alliance has been dancing to the tunes of Pakistan forces to fool the people of Jammu and Kashmir,” he said.
“In the past also, it was clearly demonstrated by the Abdullahs that they would rather follow the agenda dictated by the Pakistan ISI to deprive J&K of its due development and progress. It has been the foremost agenda of the Abdullahs and the Gandhis to keep J&K on the boil so that their vested political interests are protected at the cost of the common man in J&K,” he further said.
Chugh asserted that the BJP has taken a strong exception to this alliance of the Pakistan forces with the NC and the Congress. “The BJP takes a strong exception to this dangerous alliance of the Pakistan forces with the NC and Congress and warned the people of J-K against falling into this anti-national trap at a time when voting has started for the assembly elections in the territory,” he said.
On Pakistan Defence Minister’s remarks on Article 370, BJP MP Anurag Thakur said, “This clears that Congress, Pakistan, and NC have the same intentions, agenda, and mindset. Pakistan’s Defence Minister supporting the Congress-NC alliance’s stand on Article 370 has exposed Congress’ face in front of the people. In every election, Congress sings the praises of Pakistan. Even during the Airstrike and Surgical Strike, Congress raised questions on our own soldiers… Why is Rahul Gandhi always standing with the anti-national powers? Why does he support the ‘Tukde-Tukde’ gang? .. Now they want to reinstate Article 370. 45,000 people were killed. How many more corpses do they want to see?”.
#WATCH | Delhi | On Pakistan Defence Minister reportedly backed Congress-NC alliance’s stand on Article 370, BJP MP Anurag Thakur says, “This clears that Congress, Pakistan and NC have same intentions, agenda and mindset. Pakistan’s Defence Minister supporting the Congress-NC… pic.twitter.com/UjobPT5LZj
— ANI (@ANI) September 19, 2024
During the intervirw, Asif also claimed that Article 370 could be reinstated if the NC-Congress alliance comes to power in Jammu and Kashmir. “I think it is possible,” he said, citing the significant influence of the National Conference and Congress in the region.
Asif said he believes that the valley’s population has been highly motivated on this issue, increasing the likelihood of the National Conference coming to power, especially since they’ve made restoration of Jammu and Kashmir’s status an election issue.