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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Sambit Patra on Thursday attacked Congress after Pakistan Defence Minister Khwaja Asif backed the Congress-NC alliance's stand on Article 370 and questioned the Lok Sabha Leader of Opposition Rahul Gandhi about the reason behind the support he is getting from Pakistan pro-Khalistani terrorist Gurpatwant Singh Pannun.
"The way Defence Minister of Pakistan have supported Congress and said that Pakistan has the same stand as Congress concerning Article 370 and 35A - to restore them. Pakistan is a terrorist state and a minister of the terrorist country is openly supporting Congress...It's not new, when the Union HM tabled the bill to abrogate Article 370, the leader of Congress in the House said that it's a bilateral issue, and even Sonia Gandhi was directing him to say so,' Patra told ANI. He further alleged that not only Pakistan but Pannun has also supported Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. "I want to ask Rahul Gandhi what is the reason that, be it Pakistan or Pannun, all the terrorists support him... What kind of coalition is there between Congress and Pakistan? They have named their alliance as INDIA - INDI alliance but they are maligning the name of our country," he added. BJP leader Shazia Ilmi alleged that the National Conference, the Congress party, is seeking support from Pakistan. "This is no secret that how National Conference and Congress have always stood with secessionist forces. That is why, the National Conference manifesto clearly mentions that Articles 370 and 35A will be restored. They have made such announcements and Rahul Gandhi is silent...Now, Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif says that as far as restoration (of Article 370) and statehood are concerned, they stand with the National Conference and Congress and are on the same page. It means he has a mindset the same as National Conference and Congress when it comes to Kashmir...It has now become clear that together with the National Conference, the Congress party is seeking support from Pakistan and Pakistan is extending them the support," Ilmi said. The Prime Minister's remarks follow Pakistan's Defence Minister Khwaja Asif statement in an interview in which he said that Pakistan and the NC-Congress alliance were on the same page on the restoration of Article 370. Earlier speaking on Geo News to senior journalist Hamid Mir in a show Capital Talk, the Pakistan Defence Minister was asked whether Pakistan and the National Conference-Congress alliance are on the same page on the restoration of Article 370 and 35A in Jammu and Kashmir. Khwaja Asif replied, "Absolutely. Even our demand is also the same..." The Pakistan Minister also claimed that Article 370 could return should the NC-Congress alliance come to power in JK. "I think it is possible. Currently, the National Conference and Congress have very big importance over there. The population of the valley has been motivated a lot on this issue and I believe, there is a chance that the Conference (National Conference) will come to power. They have made this an election issue that the status of Jammu and Kashmir should be restored," Asif told Geo News. (ANI)
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