Ghulam Nabi Azad claims Abdullahs met PM Modi, Shah at night. NC chief replies

Ghulam Nabi Azad and Farooq Abdullah

National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Monday refuted former Congress veteran Ghulam Nabi Azad’s claim that the former secretly met PM Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah along with other BJP leader in the night saying that he could have met the saffron camp leaders in the open and day itself.

He also slammed the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP) leader saying that he should disclose the names of his agents who are present at the residence of BJP leaders so that people can understand the truth.

“…If I have to meet PM Modi or Union Home Minister Amit Shah, I will meet them during the day, why should I meet them at night?…what is the reason that he has thought of defaming Farooq Abdullah? When no one wanted to give him Rajya Sabha seat, I was the one who gave him Rajya Sabha seat… but today he is saying all this. He should tell the names of his agents who are sitting at the residence of PM and Union Home Minister. He should tell people so that they can understand the truth,” news agency ANI quoted Abdullah as saying.

NC supremo’s remarks came hours after Ghulam Nabi Azad in an interview to India Toady claimed that Farooq Abdullah and his son Omar Abdullah held secret meetings with PM Modi and Shah at late night.

He also accused the Abdullahs of duplicity saying that they “say one thing in Srinagar, another in Jammu, and something else in Delhi”.

Azad later clarified on his claims saying that he came to know about this through sources and media reports and added that he never said that Abdullahs met or got an appointment with the BJP leadership.

“I never claimed that he (Farooq Abdullah) met him (PM Modi). I said that through sources in Delhi, it has come to be known that he tries to meet central leadership that too only at night. I never said that he met or got an appointment,” he said to ANI.

Omar Abdullah also clarified that NC is a part of the opposition’s Indian National Developmental Inclusive Alliance (INDIA), and said it is in talks with the Congress for an arrangement in three of the six Lok Sabha seats in Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh.

Meanwhile, Farooq Abdullah has announced that the party would contest the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections and possible assembly polls in the Union Territory on its own.

(With inputs from ANI)

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