'Mehbooba Mufti & Farooq Abdullah have no right to stay in India': Union Min Pralhad Joshi

On Tuesday, Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister Pralhad Joshi opined that former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Ministers Mehbooba Mufti and Farooq Abdullah have no right to stay in India. His remarks came amid a considerable uproar over the PDP chief's comments on the tricolour. Joshi also lamented the fact that the NC president had sought China's help to restore Article 370 at a juncture when the neighbouring country is trying to attack India at the Line of Actual Control.

According to him, such utterances were sending a negative message to the international community. NC and PDP have formed the People's Alliance for Gupkar Declaration along with Congress, CPI(M), JKPC and ANC to fight for the restoration of J&K's special status. Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti have been declared as the president and vice president of this coalition. 

BJP pans Abdullah for pro-China remarks

In a recent interview, Farooq Abdullah claimed that China had never accepted the nullification of Article 370. As per BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra, the former J&K CM tried to justify China's aggression along the LAC by citing the constitutional changes in the region. Moreover, he quoted Abdullah as saying, "We will bring back Article 370 with the help of China". 

"In the interview, 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. Going even further, he made an anti-national statement. He said that we will bring back Article 370 with the help of China," BJP national spokesperson Sambit Patra remarked. 

Mufti refuses to raise tricolour

Addressing her first press conference since her release from detention on October 23, Mufti categorically asserted that she won't raise the national flag until the restoration of J&K's special status. During the briefing, only the flag of erstwhile J&K was kept on the table in front of her. This has evoked massive protests in the Union Territory besides attempts being made to hoist the tricolour at the PDP office. 

PDP supremo Mehbooba Mufti said, "My flag is this (points to the flag of J&K kept on the table in front of her). When this flag comes back, we'll raise that flag (tricolour) too. Until we get our own flag back, we won't raise any other flag. Our relationship with the flag of this country is not independent of this flag (Jammu and Kashmir's flag). When this flag comes in our hand, we will raise that flag too."

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