| Now, Omar distances from Papa's remarks on support to separatists | | What a joke! | | Muhammad Mukaram
Early Times Report
Srinagar, Dec 17: In a flip-flop on controversial remarks made by his father Farooq Abdullah, J&K's former Chief Minister Omar Abdullah on Saturday said neither his party is with the separatists nor supports them.
"National Conference never tried to create trouble in the Valley. Our party wants a dialogue between New Delhi and the separatists," Omar said while addressing a party convention in Kupwara.
Farooq had stirred up a hornets' nest on his father's anniversary on December 5 by saying that separatist leaders "should not feel alone as NC was with them in their cause."
"Be united, and don't think NC is your enemy. We are with you, not against you, and we have given our entire lives for this movement. We'll never be free until we are united," Farooq had said.
However, NC spokesperson Junaid Matto while talking to Early Times defended Farooq's remarks. "Dr Sahab has said that if separatists are unitedly ready to resolve the Kashmir issue, then only NC is with them. Otherwise our agenda is different and their agenda is different," Matto said.
"Farooq Sahab clearly said that if they (separatists) are willing sincerely to take the movement forward, then NC couldn't consider them our enemy. Yes, we keep advocating the fact that New Delhi should talk to separatists," Matto added. "The fact is we have nothing to do with the separatists, apart from the fact that if they succeed in delivering some sort of relief to the people, then that would be welcomed," he said.
For last many days, Farooq has been issuing controversial statements. There was a time when Farooq used to say that India should bomb Pakistan. But now he is asking the government of India to engage Pakistan in talks.
It was same Farooq who in 1998 said the separatists should be allowed to rot in jail. But now he is saying that he is friend of separatists.
And it was the same Farooq who once infamously said, "Kashmir ko goli maro", when he was Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy. At that time NC-led coalition government was in place in the state. |
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