Farooq Abdullah hits out at Yogi govt over name-change

Srinagar: Former Union minister Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday criticised the BJP government in Uttar Pradesh and its counterparts in other states over changing the names of cities and said that this was an attempt to wipe out the country’s pluralistic character. He also said that it seemed to be a calculated attempt to diverge the people’s attention from real issues that the country is facing.

Mr Abdullah, who is also the president National Conference (NC), said that changing names of cities throughout the country “is an attempt to change the pluralistic visage of India and a premeditated attempt to deviate the attention of people from the developmental deficit across the country”.

He said that India has historically been a point of convergence of different cultures and the names of various cities reflected the pluralistic culture of India. “India is a mosaic of cultures and the contribution of Muslims cannot be belittled. The contribution of Muslims to the cultural pool of India is discernible in linguistics, crafts, food and other art forms,” he asserted, adding, “Such attempts reveal the antipathy of the BJP-led state government, including the incumbent UP government, for academics and historical facts.”

The NC president said that such “irrational acts” bring bad repute to the celebrated traits of India’s ethos known for forbearance. “It seems to be a considered attempt to diverge the people from real issues that the country is faced with. The BJP which is at the helm of affairs has been serving people mere catchwords as development. People are watchful of their willies and are seeking answers from BJP for not fulfilling the promises they made during the run-up for 2014 national elections,” he said.

Mr. Abdullah who is also a member of Lok Sabha said that history bears testimony to the fact as to how Muslims watered the pluralistic values of our country. “The contribution of Muslims in India’s freedom struggle cannot be derided. People like Fakrudin Ali Ahmad, Maulana Azad, Dr Zakir Hussain, and APJ Abdul Kalam including others contributed a lot towards India’s development,” he said. He asked the people to remain cautious of such “devious machinations” which, he said, are aimed at dividing the country on religious lines.

The NC leader also condemned the recent reported statements made at a meeting of a right wing group asking the Hindus of Jammu not to sell properties or lend properties on rent to Muslims. This, he said, is aimed at vitiating the atmosphere in the State. Mr. Abdullah, however, also said that the people have always shown steadfastness in upholding secular fabric of Jammu and Kashmir in the most trying times. “I am sure they will keep up with the tradition of not lending ear to such obnoxious propaganda,” he said.

Meanwhile, the NC has censured the incumbent Srinagar Mayor Junaid Azim Mutto for using his “new found affection” for the BJP and its national secretary Ram Madhav to transfer what it said an honest police officer Basant Rath.

Mr. Mutto and Mr. Rath had a tiff over management of traffic in Srinagar on micro-blogging site twitter following which the latter has been transferred as the Inspector General of Traffic and attached to the home guards wing of the J&K police.

The NC in a statement here said that the much talked “change” Mr. Mutto had talked about is visible and its first casualty happens to be an honest police officer known for his effective and innovative work. “The much hyped bravado about bringing change to the city turned out to be sheer trumpery and hogwash,” it said.