The Maharashtra Congress on Wednesday slammed the Opposition BJP over its former Chief Minister and senior party leader Devendra Fadnavis’ claim that the Sonia Gandhi-led party was backing the Gupkar agenda and demanded to know why the BJP did not quit the Jammu & Kashmir Government in 2017 when then Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti made controversial statements about Indian tri-colour.
Reacting to Fadnavis’ charge that the Congress was part of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD) which was demanding the reintroduction of Article 370 in the Constitution, Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) president and senior State minister Balasaheb Thorat charged that Fadnavis Fadnavis was trying to “mislead” people with a “false allegation” about his party’s involvement in the PAGD.
“The Congress was at the forefront of the Independence struggle. Indira Gandhi, Rajiv Gandhi and other leaders have laid down their lives for the country. Patriotism in the Congress’ DNA. No one should teach patriotism, least of it an organisation that supported the British during the freedom struggle. Mehbooba has made a controversial statement about national tri-colour. Fadnavis, who is part of RSS that had hoisted the national flag for 52 long years, is now talking about Mehbooba’s controversial remark,” Thorat said.
Thorat reminded that Mehbooba had made a similar controversial statement about the Indian national flag when she was the chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir in 2017. “At that time, the BJP was part of the Mehbooba government in J & K. Then the Congress had demanded the resignation of Mehbooba as the chief minister then. Why did the BJP not quit the J & K government? The same BJP is now speaking against Mehbooba and making all kinds of false allegations against the Congress,” the State Congress chief said.
State Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant came down heavily against Fadnavis for the BJP’s “double-speak”. Through a tweet, Sawant asked the senior BJP leader: “Hon'ble Fadnavis ji, do you have any explanation for the remarks of Mehbooba Mufti in 2017 when you were in power with her and she was CM? BJP did not leave the alliance then”.
Sawant recalled that the Congress had on July 30, 2017 demanded then Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti's resignation over her flag remarks, saying no had the right to insult the tricolour.
“At that time, the Congress had said that Mehbooba had hurt the sentiments of the people and asked the BJP to explain what kind of freedom is being advocated by their coalition partner (PDP) in the Jammu and Kashmir government and the chief minister,” Sawant said
“At that time, we had said that Mehbooba has no right to quote the example of the national flag in any form and hurt the nationalist sentiments by insulting it, what so ever may be her reasoning or context,” Sawant said.
Earlier talking to media persons attending the BJP’s Mumbai Executive Committee meeting held here, Fadnavis said: “Several parties have come together in Jammu and Kashmir under the banner of the People’s Alliance for Gupkar Declaration (PAGD). Surprisingly, the Congress is also part of the PAGD. We would like to know if the Congress agrees with the Gupkar agenda”.
“The Congress is joining alliance with people who are making anti national statements and are supporting separatists,” Fadnavis said.
Hitting out at former chief minister Dr Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba, Fadnavis said: “Abdullah says with help of China they will restore Article 370 in the Constitution. I am surprised such a senior leader is saying such a thing. It is quite disheartening Mufti says that if the Kashmir flag is not restored the Tiranga would not be hoisted in Jammu Kashmir”.
Justifying the BJP’s alliance with the PDP earlier, Fadnavis said: “The coming together of the BJP and PDP was a strategic alliance as Pakistan used to allege we cannot have democracy so we did that. Till PDP was with us they couldn't dare to insult the flag now when they are doing so Congress is supporting them”.