BJP formed govt with separatists: NCP on PM's J-K swipe at

The NCP Tuesday hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi after he targeted its chief Sharad Pawar for "standing with" the National Conference which recently advocated a separate 'Wazir-e-Azam' (Prime Minister) for Jammu and Kashmir.

NCP national spokesperson Nawab Malik said National Conference has never talked about contesting polls with separatists and has fought elections as per the Constitution.

On the other hand, Malik claimed, it was the BJP that had formed a government with the People's Democratic Party (PDP) "which supported separatists".

National Conference leader Omar Abdullah had last week said his party will strive hard for restoring the autonomy of Jammu and Kashmir and that could include having a 'Sadar-e- Riyasat' (President) and 'Wazir-e-Azam' (Prime Minister) for the northern state.

"Modi ji accused Pawar saheb of standing with separatists. There is no separatist party in the UPA. The National Conference never talks about contesting polls with separatists. It has always fought polls as per the Constitution," Malik said.

"One who fights polls is not one following a separatist ideology. Contrary to that, the BJP is in alliance with Sajad Lone who follows a separatist ideology. They ran a government with PDP which supported separatists," he added.

Lone, a former J-K MLA, is chief of the People's Conference.

Malik also hit out at Modi for allegedly using the surgical strike carried out after 2016 Uri terror attack and also the Balakot strike by Air Force after the Pulwama terror attack for poll campaigning.

He asked Modi why responsibility for Uri, Pathankot and Pulwama attacks was not fixed.

Unlike the NDA government, the UPA had made then Union Home Minister (Shivraj Patil Chakurkar), Maharashtra Chief Minister (Vilasrao Deshmukh) and deputy CM (RR Patil) step down from their respective posts after the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack in 2008.

"Modi ji will have to give answers on the number of terrorist attacks in the country. The country is not safe in his hands," Malik said.

Referring to Abdullah's remark, Modi Tuesday accused the Congress and its ally NCP of standing with those who want a separate prime minister for Jammu and Kashmir.

Hitting out at Pawar, Modi wondered if it behoved the Maratha strongman to join forces with parties holding such a view.