‘Don’t think PM Modi has read the Congress manifesto’: Farooq Abdullah

Srinagar, May 6 (PTI) National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Monday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi has not read the Congress' manifesto for the Lok Sabha polls as there is nothing in the poll document of the opposition party that the BJP leaders are claiming.

Attacking the Congress, Modi had said that its manifesto carried an imprint of the Muslim League. The prime minister has also repeatedly slammed the opposition party over Congress leader Sam Pitroda's 'inheritance tax' comments amid the row on the issue of 'wealth redistribution'.

"I do not think he (PM Modi) has read the manifesto. It never says anything that the prime minister and his party are claiming. Please, for God's sake, I beg of them, read the manifesto. Then you will know what exactly is there," Farooq Abdullah told reporters in Pulwama after an election meeting.

Asked about Pakistani leader Chaudhry Fawad Hussain's criticism of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and praise of Rahul Gandhi, the NC president said Indians are a free people and make their own decisions.

"Pakistan does not hold India in its pocket. India is a free country and Indians are a free people. They do not go by what others say, whether it is America, Russia or Pakistan. We decide on our own," he added.

In response to another question, Farooq Abdullah said, "The Sangh Parivar has never been part of the freedom struggle. This is not as if I am saying it today. This has been said in Parliament. They sided with the British when people were fighting for Independence. It is on record, not Farooq Abdullah saying on his own." Abdullah admitted that the INDIA bloc was facing problems in the Ladakh Lok Sabha seat but made it clear that the National Conference would support the official candidate of the opposition alliance.

"We are facing a problem in Ladakh. The people of Kargil are saying their candidate should contest the elections for Parliament but Leh wants its candidates.

"We are part of the alliance and the alliance has decided (the candidate) from Delhi. We have told our party (in Ladakh) that they should follow the alliance and vote for the alliance candidate," he added. PTI