National Conference (NC) chairperson Farooq Abdullah courted controversy on Saturday, 30 March, when he said that he is doubtful over the 40 CRPF jawans being killed in the Pulwama terror attack on 14 February.
Speaking at a gathering in J&K’s Srinagar, Abdullah said:
“How many Indian soldiers have been martyred in Chhattisgarh? Did Modiji ever go there to pay tributes to them? Did he express his sympathies with the families? Or did he say anything for the soldiers who died here? But those 40 people from the CPRF were martyred, I have my doubts on that and I tell you the truth… He raised a storm over it.”
-Farooq Abdullah
The NC leader also brought up the Balakot air strike and the dog-fight between the Indian and Pakistani air force the subsequent day, reportedly saying, “Through all this, he tried to make everyone forget about farmers and jobs.”
“Previously the temple issue was important for them (BJP), but where is it now? Has Balakot eaten it?” he was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
The former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir further brought up PM Modi’s recent address to the nation regarding the anti-satellite missile test that was conducted, saying it was former PM Manmohan Singh who got the project ready.
“That missile that was used to shoot down the satellite, do you know who got it prepared? His name is Manmohan Singh. But he did not declare it. But now when elections are happening, he (Modi) pressed the button to show as if Hanuman ji has come himself.”
-Farooq Abdullah.
In a probable reference to the Mi-17 helicopter that crashed in J&K’s Budgam in February, Abdullah went on to say, “And one wrong button was also pressed for that helicopter. Six of our air force personnel were martyred in that incident and the helicopter fell on a civilian on the ground.”