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BJP raps Azad for calling NSA’s Shopian visit sham

Abha Gupta. Dated: 8/9/2019 4:12:41 PM

In the backdrop of the Government deleting the autonomy clause of Article 370 in Jammu & Kashmir and the subsequent visit of National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval to the locked down Valley, the BJP on Thursday lashed out at Congress leader Ghulam Nabi Azad for alleging that the NSA’s interactions with the Kashmiri men were pumped up with money and sought his apology. For, the party said, his comments could be used globally by Pakistan for anti-India propaganda.

Doval was seen chit-chatting and sharing food with locals on the footpaths of the militancy-infested Shopian locality in the south-Kashmir even though prohibitory orders were in force there post-370- abrogation on Tuesday. His pictures were doing rounds in the social media.

“Paise dekar aap kisiko bhi saath le sakte ho (Anyone can be brought along with money),” Azad said when asked about Doval’s visit.

Condemning the comment as “unfortunate”, BJP national spokesperson Shahnawaz Hussain said that such remarks were expected from the “people of Pakistan” and not from India’s “biggest political party”.

“Ghulam Nabi Azad’s comments are unfortunate. I condemn it strongly....When the NSA visits the state and meets and eats with the people of the area, the Congress says that we have paid them money?

“These accusations come from the people of Pakistan. This is not expected from a big political party like the Congress. How can you make these accusations? This statement will be used by Pakistan on global forums. He should immediately apologise for the comments,” Hussain told a news channel.

The Government is planning to relax restrictions on Friday when people are expected to come out for prayers and also in view of Eid festivities on Monday.