National Confꦇerence (NC) president Farooq Abdullah Thursday described Narendra Modi's recent remarks about Mahatma Gandhi as "shocking" and said the prime minister "feels shame" in praising the 'Bapu' even as both of them hail from Gujarat.
Abdullah also slammed Union Home Minister Amit Shah ꦉover his annou🌄ncement that the kin of militants and stone pelters in Jammu and Kashmir would not be provided government jobs, saying the Centre does not know how to win hearts of the people.
National Confꦇerence (NC) president Farooq Abdullah Thursday described Narendra Modi's recent remarks about Mahatma Gandhi as "shocking" and said the prime minister "feels shame" in praising the 'Bapu' even as both of them hail from Gujarat.
Abdullah also slammed Union Home Minister Amit Shah over his announcement that the kin of militants and stone pelters in Jammu and Kashmir would not be provided government ✱jobs, saying the Centre doeꦺs not know how to win hearts of the people.
Tal🀅king to PTI Videos here, he said, "Modi ji says (Mahatma) Gandhi got recognition after a film was made on him! It's shocking.✤"
The former Union minister said world leaders like Nelson Mandela andꦦ Martin Luther King Junior would take inspiration from 'Bapu'.
"His statues are present all over the world and our P🌼M forgot that Ind𓃲ia's independence has a great contribution of Gandhi in it. Both Modi and Gandhi belong to Gujarat and yet, the PM feels shame in praising Gandhi," Abdullah added.
The NC president said he cannot forget the sacrifices rendered by Gandhi for the country and tha๊t "he (Gandhi) wanted Hindus and Muslims to live together happily in our country, but the present PM is widening the gap between the two comღmunities".
Prime Minister Modi in 🌃a TV interview to a TV channel said, "...Across the world, Mahatma Gandhi was a great person. Was it not our responsibility in these 75 years to ensure that the entire world knows Mahatma Gandhi. I am sorry to say that no one knows about him. The first time when the film 'Gandhi' was made, it was then that there was curiosity across the world as to who this person was. We have not done so..."
Hitting out at Shah, the NC chief said, "They (Centre) do no𓂃t know how to win hearts. When I met Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi in New Delhi few years ago, I told him that there is a trust deficit between Kashmir and New Delhi, which needed to be addressed."
"I told him that the distance would increase if it continues and now when they are saying jobs won't be given to the families of militants or stone pelters, it widens the gap and they c🅰an choose the w🔯rong path again," Abdullah said.
The former chief minist🤡er of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir said if someone is going off the track, "we need to bring them back on the right path".
"We cannot just push them away. It is a hars꧑h step by the Centre," he added.
Abdullah came out in support of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) president Mehbooba Mufti in the wake of an FIR against her for allegedly violating🐟 the Model Code of Conduct.
"I think it is the tragedy of this government. Every person has a right to protest. She did no♋t commit any mistake. She only asked the authorities why the workers of her party were detained🦩," he said.
The NC president alleged that many of his party workers were also taken into the custodꦑy before the polling.
"They (gove🍸rnment) did not want people to vote foꦅr us. But, Mehbooba (Mufti) could not bear it and came out to protest in front of a police station in Anantnag. I congratulate her," he added.
Abdullah, a member of Parliament who is not seeking a re-election from Srinagar Lok Sabha constituency owing to hi꧙s health, said these FIRs are alꦉso "very deceptive".
The NC chief also said the prime minister's statements o🎃n Muslims during th🉐e election campaign have been "surprising".
"It h💜as been 75 years and we are still being deprived of our rights. Please telไl me how many Muslims are working in the Central Secretariat or any of the government offices? Our Islam teaches us to show tolerance towards other religions. We are god-fearing people," he said.
On the airstrikes in Rafah, t♈he NC president said it was sad that the world was silent over the killings there
"Though many countries including Germany and Spain have accepted Palestine as a state, that is not enough. Strong action should be taken against Israel. The International Court is also silent. Don't know where the pressure is co🍸ming from. America calls itself a democratic countr♐y but is helping Israel with procuring arms. They also want to erase the Muslim population from the world," he said.
Abdullah said (Mahatma) Gandhi was vocal about the "atrocities done in Pale💮stine".
"He (Gandhi) also supported the ꦛstruggle of the people of Palestine and wanted it to be recognised as💎 a state. But our current PM congratulated Israel over its airstrikes on the Palestinians. It is sad. I pray to Allah that we find a solution to this war," he said.