Srinagar, Sept 20: Jammu and Kashmir People's Democratic Party leader Mehbooba Mufti today described as 'baseless' Leader of Opposition Sushma Swaraj's claim that she had praised Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi at the National Integration Council meeting.
Sushma Swaraj at the concluding session of Modi's fast in Ahmedabad had said yesterday that Mehbooba Mufti had praised Narendra Modi for sanctioning a project in Gujarat by a Kashmiri Muslim industrialist within half an hour. Thousands of people had clapped and chanted slogans in praise of Modi when Sushma made this 'revelation'.
However, in Srinagar, Mehbooba Mufti sought to puncture the BJP leader's balloon by saying that Sushma Swaraj had made a "baseless" claim.
"It is very unfortunate that the Leader of Oppoisition has chosen to misquote me for her own reason. I have requested Government of India that it should release the full text of my speech at the National Integration Council.
"We did not meet even for a second on the sidelines of the meeting. You can go through the text of my speech. I haven't met Sushma Swaraj for many, many years", said Mehbooba Mufti.
On the contrary, Mehbooba alleged that it was chief minister Omar Abdullah's father Farooq Abdullah who had publicly said that he saw God in Modi's eyes.
"His father is still fascinated by Modi. Our party has credibility and we don't doublespeak", said Mehbooba Mufti.
Later, Sushma Swaraj said on Twitter : "I only quoted what she spoke in the presence of over a hundred people in the afternoon session of the NIC meeting on 10th September".
Later, Sushma Swaraj said on Twitter : "I only quoted what she spoke in the presence of over a hundred people in the afternoon session of the NIC meeting on 10th September".
In Delhi, BJP leader Arun Jaitley came out in support of his colleague Sushma Swaraj.
Confirming that Mehbooba Mufti had indeed praised good governance in Gujarat, Jaitley while narrating the incident where Mufti had done so, said “she narrated an incident in reference to somebody whom she knew, whose work got resolved in half an hour or so as she mentioned.”
“I think this a matter of record. The entire National Integration Council heard her. And what Sushmaji has said in this context, I think, reproduces to the best of my memory what Mehboobaji has said,” Jaitley told reporters here today.
Jaitley also said that “the Home Minister during the course of the NIC meeting had announced that the entire proceedings are being tape recorded and the entire transcript would be sent to all the members.” PTI
