Farooq hits back at BJP over tirade against Nehru, Abdullah

 Farooq hits back at BJP over tirade against Nehru, Abdullah

Only history will decide who was a hero and who was a villain; National Conference founder Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah’s sacrifices cannot be forgotten, says party president

He [Rijiju] should mind his words... They should talk about joining hearts, but such statements break them, says Farooq Abdullah. File Photo

The Hindu Bureau SRINAGAR

Referring to the BJP leaders’ tirade against former Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and National Conference (NC) founder Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah, former Chief Minister and NC president Dr. Farooq Abdullah on Friday said only history will decide who was a hero and who was a villain.

‘Behind progress’

“Any leader’s statement doesn’t matter. Only history will decide who is a hero and who is a villain. Nehru’s history is unforgettable. He ruled India for 17 years and spearheaded the leap India took from a needle-importing country to one with large scale industrialisation. India became an atomic power. Who was the man behind the leap?” Dr. Abdullah said in Srinagar.

The former Chief Minister of J&K also took exception to the remarks made by BJP leaders about the NC founder.

“Sheikh Abdullah’s sacrifices cannot be forgotten. From being a place of unlettered people to now holding top positions across the globe, who brought this change? Did the change take place from the skies?” he said.

Making a pointed reference to BJP leader and Union Law Minister Kiren Rijiju’s recent article, Dr. Abdullah said, “He [Rijiju] should mind his words. We are not slaves. They should talk about joining hearts, but such statements break them.”

Responding to the accusation of ‘double talk’ in Srinagar and Delhi, the former Chief Minister said, “These accusations have been made in the past too. It’s of no importance. We are a part of India. J&K is the crown of India, not its shoe.”

Several BJP leaders had recently targeted the Abdullahs and Pt. Nehru for the Kashmir policy.