SRINAGAR: Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray accused PDP president Mehbooba Mufti of fielding “extremists” in the Lok Sabha polls and asked if it was not a form of terrorism to say Kashmir will not be a part of India if Article 370 is abolished.
Addressing a public rally in the Ratnagiri-Sindhudurg Lok Sabha constituency, he asserted that if the BJP-led NDA comes to power, Article 370, which gives special status to Jammu and Kashmir, will “definitely” be abolished.
“I read somewhere, (Mehbooba) Mufti bai, from Kashmir, said the BJP gave Pragya Singh Thakur (Malegaon blast accused) poll ticket from Madhya Pradesh against (Congress candidate) Digvijaya Singh.
“What is the allegation against her (Pragya)? Suspected Hindu extremist. Then Mufti bai asks will it be OK if we give ticket to suspected extremists…What have you been doing? You have been doing this only (giving tickets to extremists),” he said.
Thackeray said the BJP and the NDA in their manifestos have promised that Article 370 will be abolished and that it will definitely be done because Kashmir is an inseparable part of India.
“And then you say if we do so, Kashmir will not remain a part of India and nobody will hoist the tricolour. Is this not terrorism? Is this not a challenge to the integrity of the country?
“Who will you give your vote to? To those who say Article 370 will be repealed or Rahul Gandhi who says he will not allow it to happen,” Thackeray said.
The Sena leader hit out at the Congress and its president Rahul Gandhi.
“Those in the Congress, who are themselves thieves, are calling others a ‘chor’….. The PM’s chair is not a musical chair,” he said.
Voting for the 543 Lok Sabha seats is being held in seven phases: April 11, April 18, April 23, April 29, May 6, May 12 and May 19. Counting of votes will take place on May 23. (PTK)
