Cong's Abhishek Singhvi slams Farooq Abdullah for 'irresponsible' remark siding with China

Senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi slammed J&K NC president Farooq Abdullah for seeking China's aid for the restoration of Article 370 & Article 35A in the erstwhile state and called it 'irresponsible'. 

Farooq Abdullah's statement sparked outrage across the nation, inviting sharp reactions from political leaders and personalities, including now the Congress.

Congress' Abhishek Manu Singhvi pointed out that keeping aside the political, religious and personal differences, Farooq Abdullah statement seeking China's support at the time when they were fighting India at the border was irresponsible and condemnable. 

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'Irresponsible': Singhvi slams Farooq Abdullah

"Political ideology, differences, discrimination are all in place but at the time when China is deployed with evil intentions on our borders, then Farooq Abdullah's statement in favour of China is not only irresponsible but is also condemnable", wrote Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Twitter, slamming Farooq Abdullah.

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Cong's Khurshid backs Farooq; J&K Congress distances themselves

Supporting his peer and NC patron Farooq Abdullah on Monday, Congress leader Salman Khurshid, however, had tweeted that the Centre's mishandling of Jammu-Kashmir was apparent in the Rajya Sabha MP's words. Reminding BJP of ex-PM Atal Bihari Vajpayee's words, Khurshid said one must remember 'Jambhuriyat, Kashmiriyat, Insaniyat'. However, J&K Congress chief Ghulam Ahmed Mir has distanced the party from Abdullah comment seeking 're-imposition of Article 370 via China'. Mir said, "Farooq Saab is president of an old party and he can clarify whatever he said. I feel internal matters of India should be dealt within the nation, through courts. China is not a part of our dictionary and was not a part of the Gupkar declaration. He speaks on his own."  

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What Farooq Abdullah had said

In a recent interview, the 82-year-old parliamentarian had criticised PM Modi for hosting China's President in Chennai and had added that China has not accepted the nullification of Article 370. He had said that China had vowed to not stop till Article 370 was restored as it was an 'open issue'. He had expressed his hope that Kashmiris would get help from China's might and the articles - 370 & 35A are restored. Similarly, he had also urged Centre to initiate talks with Pakistan like China, as border skirmishes were killing citizens in Kashmir.

Lashing out at Abdullah, BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra said that Abdullah had tried to justify China's aggression along the Line of Actual Control and said that his remark is "seditious". "There are two aspects. He stated that since the Indian Parliament abrogated Article 370, it has disturbed China and that's why China is justified for the kind of aggression that it has taken on. In a way, Farooq Abdullah justifies China's expansionist mindset," he said.

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