BJP spreading hate to win Uttar Pradesh assembly polls: Farooq Abdullah

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Describing "hate" as a weapon to win elections in India, National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Thursday alleged that the BJP is spreading it to win the assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh early next year.

Abdullah called upon people to fight hate to save Jammu and Kashmir as well as the country, and warned that if hatred continues to grow, India's disintegration cannot be stopped.

"We have to fight communalism. We have to bring down the wall of hatred being created between Hindus and Muslims. We have to end this hatred. Without this, neither India survives nor this state (J&K). If we have to save India, we have to put an end to this hate," Abdullah told his party workers here.

He said that the politics of hate has been made a weapon based on which elections are being won since Independence. "...I have seen this in every election since Independence. Muslim leaders are taken to Muslim areas and Hindu leaders go to Hindu areas," he said.

Abdullah accused the BJP of propagating the politics of hate and divide to win elections in UP. "Last election was also won in Balakote. The BJP government came to power. Today, they are doing the same thing. Today, they are again spreading hate even in Jammu to win elections in UP," he said, referring to the Balakot air strike following the Pulwama terror attack in 2019.

"Has the Line (Line of Control) changed. Have we taken back any area from Pakistan? The line exists on the ground. They were instrumental in shooting down their own plan there," he said.

Maintaining that the National Conference (NC) will save J&K from disintegration, he said that Jammu is the gateway to Kashmir and Kashmir is the gateway to Ladakh. "If they (BJP government) think they will break this state, I want to tell them: Beware, do not have this mindset. This country will not survive," he said.

Abdullah warned the ruling party in Delhi that growing hatred can disintegrate India. "If this hatred continues to grow here, I want to tell those who are ruling in Delhi that beware, India will be disintegrated in parts that they cannot stop. They cannot save it."

"Unless we have brotherhood here, nothing will happen. There is no threat from outside but from inside if brotherhood ends here. We don't have threats from China and Pakistan. They cannot do anything as long we are strong here. So strengthen that brotherhood and make this part strong," he added.

On the National Conference and its leaders being dubbed as pro-Pakistan, Abdullah said that the party lost 3,000 of its men, including its ministers, to militancy but kept the Indian flag flying high in Kashmir.

The NC leader also slammed the central government over hike in prices of essential commodities and said the rates of petrol and diesel are touching the sky, making the lives of commoners miserable.

He alleged that the BJP has made Jammu and Kashmir a hell instead of a paradise that it had promised to the people.