Says ED Sleuths Doing Their Job But Court Will Decide Truth, Regrets Missing Launch
Srinagar: National Conference president Farooq Abdullah was on Monday quizzed by enforcement directorate for several hours following which he asserted that resolve for restoration of Article 370 and 35A “has never died or will never die even if he was hanged.”
“They have their job to do. I have my job to do. There is nothing else to say. It is not for me to decide. The court will decide what the truth is,” Farooq Abdullah told reporters soon after he was allowed to go by Enforcement Directorate in connection with a case related to alleged JKCA scam.
“There is nothing to be worried. I am not worried. I only regret I could not take lunch as it could bring the lunch with me as there was no time,” Farooq said as per GNS correspondent.
“Please remember we have a long way to go. We have a long political battle and that battle is going to continue whether Farooq Abdullah is alive or Farooq Abdullah is dead,” he said, adding, “Our fight is for restoration of Article 370 and A 35 (read 35A). Therefore the fight will continue whether Farooq Abdullah in on stage or not on stage.”
Responding to a related question by a reporter, the visibly angry Farooq said: “Our resolved has never changed and it will not change even if I am hanged. It is struggle of people and not Farooq alone.”
Asked about how the ED people behaved with him, he said: “They were nice. They were very good. They will were doing their job.”
Meanwhile, National Conference vehemently condemned ED summons to Party President and Member of Parliament, saying the measure exudes witch-hunt and vengeance.
In a joint statement Party General Secretary Haji Ali Muhammad Sagar, Provincial Presidents Nasir Aslam Wani, Devender Singh Rana and other senior leaders condemned the “undue witch hunt and intimidation of party president Dr Farooq Abdullah.”
“The motive behind the recent ED summon to Party President is to deter him from representing the aspirations of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.”
The leaders said the incumbent ruling dispensation in New Delhi was employing government machinery and malevolent tactics to subdue Farooq’s effort in forging unity among different mainstream political parties, reads a statement by NC to GNS.
“This government is doing everything it can to silence the combined voice of the people of J&K, which Dr Sahib has been able to forge. The tactics are being employed across the board in the country to stifle the voices of dissent by using all spiteful measures, the party will not duck due to such tactics. We condemn the treatment that is being meted out to Dr Sahab, an octogenarian, senior most politician of J&K, and sitting Member of Parliament from Srinagar,” they said, adding, “Such tactics will only make us more resolute towards achieving our goal peacefully and constitutionally. The measure also reveals the jittery the present ruling dispensation is going through in wake of the growing consensus among all mainstream political parties on People’s Alliance for Gupkar declaration headed by Dr Farooq Abdullah.” (GNS)