Srinagar, Feb 10: Awami National Conference senior vice president Muzafar Shah was all praise for Farooq Abdullah for his speech over the abrogation of Article 370 and 35A in Lok Sabha. However, he advised Abdullah to desist from talking about 1984 incident in future.
GM Shah with the support of over a dozen National Conference members assumed charge of the erstwhile State back in 1984.
Farooq Abdullah in his recent Lok Sabha speech claimed that money power was used to purchase his party members and he was dethroned in 1984.
Taking strong note of Abdullah’s allegations, Muzafar Shah told reporters in a press conference that no money was given to any member. “Two persons namely Ghulam Nabi Azad and late Mufti Muhammad Sayeed were witness to everything that happened in 1984. No money was used and these allegations are completely baseless,” Shah said adding that he doesn’t know who had advised Farooq Abdullah to touch 1984 in his speech.
“It would have been better if Farooq Abdullah would have talked about 1953- the year democracy was murdered,” he said.
In response to a question, Shah said that barring 1984 incident, Farooq Abdullah made an excellent speech and raised the abrogation of special status in the Parliament.
“This is between NC and ANC and it has nothing to do with PAGD. PAGD is there for people and we should understand that our enemy is common,” he said adding that his mother who is the president of the party has been hurt they way Farooq Abdullah misrepresented facts about 1984 incident.
He said in 1982, Farooq Abdullah in his public address had claimed that all the cabinet ministers in Sheikh Muhammad Abdullah’s Government were thugs. “Ironically, Farooq Abdullah welcomed those members back to NC who had betrayed him,” he said and named some of those stalwarts as late Husamuddin Banday, Sheikh Abdul Jabbar, Ghulam Nabi Kochuk, Sanaullah Dar, DD Thakur, Ali Muhammad Naik, G.M Bhadarwahi and MK Tickoo.
He said in 1984, there was a spilt in NC and that was not defection.
Shah appealed Farooq Abdullah not to talk about 1984 and not to make strange claims which have no base and are unfounded. (KNT)
