Nadda hits out at Mamata, Rahul for opposing Article 370

BJP working president J P Nadda Friday hit out at West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee for her opposition to abrogation of Article 370 in Jammu and Kashmir and claimed that time is over for her government.

Nadda, who was addressing a seminar on abolition of Article 370 here, questioned the patriotism of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi for opposing the scrapping of the article and said his statement was used by Pakistan in the United Nations to oppose the move.

He accused National Conference leaders Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah, PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti and Congress leaders of misleading the nation by spreading lies that the special status of Kashmir has been withdrawn by the abrogation of the article.

"They are deliberately misleading the country. Article 370 never gave a special status but was a temporary provison," he said and hailed the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the strategy of Union Home Minister Amit Shah for playing the pivotal role in restoring peace and taking the northern state to the path of development.

Pakistan had tried to make the scrapping of the article an international issue but had to take a beating at all the international forums, he said and lauded the Modi government for the diplomatic victory on the issue.

Keeping up his attack on Banerjee, who is one of the harshest critics of BJP, Nadda said she is so busy in the politics of appeasement that national interest has taken a backseat for her, he said.

"The writing on the wall is that her government's time is over. It's only a matter of time that BJP will come to power in Bengal," Nadda said at the Jan Jagran Karyakram on Article 370 in Kolkata.

"Is (the concern for) vote bank, power and politics bigger than national interest for Mamata Banerjee? She should answer why her party opposed the move to integrate the country. When the country is strong and united, only then you can have your politics and power," he said.

The people of Bengal should seek answers from TMC for opposing the Centre's abrogation of Article 370, he said.

Criticising Rahul Gandhi, Nadda said his statements were used by Pakistan to oppose India in the United Nations. "Is this nationalism? Is this patriotism?"