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Not afraid of rebel Bhat: Farooq

KT NEWS SERVICE. Dated: 4/3/2014 12:24:09 PM

‘Haven’t done anything wrong’

SRINAGAR, Apr 2: Union minister and National Conference (NC) president Dr Farooq Abdullah today said that the party leadership is not afraid of the rebel Mohammad Yousuf Bhat of Ganderbal since “we have not done anything wrong.”
Talking to media persons in Anantnag, Dr Abdullah stated that Bhat is at liberty and he can talk anything against the party. “We are not scared of him and he can say whatever he wants to say. NC has not done anything wrong and there is no need to feel scared of Yousuf Bhat,” he said.
It may be recalled here that Yousuf Bhat, who is a witness in the death of Haji Mohammad Yusuf Bhat, resigned from NC some days back and threatened new revelations regarding the case. He had accused the NC leadership of sidelining the party workers.
Dr Abdullah was in Anantnag in connection with the filing of nomination papers by party candidate for Lok Sabha polls, Dr Mehboob Beg. He later jointly addressed a public meeting with PCC chief Prof Saif-u-Din Soz.
NC president lashed out at BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, saying, "he will destroy the country if he comes to power".
"If this man (Modi) sits on the prime minister's chair, he will destroy India's constitution. People of every religion have right to live but this man says one thing and does the other," he said.
"He (Modi) is the one who could not respect his elders (in his party), how could he respect me or (state Congress president Saifuddin) Soz or you?" Abdullah said apparently referring to ouster of Jaswant Singh from the BJP.
Wooing voters, the NC president said, "Some people might have been hurt -- be that Congress or NC workers. I seek forgiveness from them but this is not the time to ask what we have done or not done."
"It is time to think about the country. That is why I am telling you not to keep a grudge against us. I ask my brothers and sisters in Congress and NC that it is the question of saving the nation. It is the question for us whether we can save the nation or not," Abdullah said.
Taking a dig at PDP president and party's candidate from Anantnag Lok Sabha constituency Mehbooba Mufti, Abdullah said, "She comes wearing green but basically she is with Modi."
"Beware, they will tell you anything. They have so many ways in their kitty to befool people. They lie so much that I wonder if they do not fear God. They come to you now and tell you that we will save you. Ask them where has that slogan of healing touch gone," he said.
The PDP used to talk about development and prosperity but gave land to the Amarnath Shrine Board and later blamed then chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad for it, Dr Abdullah said.
"They (PDP leaders) even went to Delhi after Omar Abdullah won the 2008 elections and formed the government with the support of Congress. Despite formation of the government, they (PDP) tried their best to keep National Conference away and even told Congress that they don't want the chair of the Chief Minister or ministerial berths but just don't let National Conference be part of the government," he said.
"Today I want to tell them that there is National Conference and Congress unity and this unity will break you (PDP). We have to show them that Modi will not win," the union minister said.
Abdullah expressed hope that the coalition will win all the six Lok Sabha seats in the state.
Soz asked his party workers to vote for NC candidates and ensure their win by huge margins.
PCC chief lauded Omar and his father for their whole-hearted support to Congress candidates in Jammu. He said voting for coalition candidates is a vote for secularism.
Mehboob Beg asked the workers to inform the people about his performance as a member of Parliament and compare the same to that of Mehbooba Mufti when she was an MP.
Beg said that NC leaders had utilised their MP funds transparently and effectively to the ultimate benefit of their constituents.