BJP steps up attack on Congress, Rahul Gandhi for alliance with NC

New Delhi: Keeping up its attack on the Congress over its tie-up with the National Conference for Jammu and Kashmir polls, the BJP on Saturday claimed that it was a dangerous alliance that imperils the very foundation of the country.

The Jammu and Kashmir National Conference's manifesto is a recipe for disaster, threatening to ruin the state's hard-won peace, the BJP said in a post on X.

"The dangerous alliance between the JKNC and Congress jeopardises the progress we have made and imperils the very foundations of our nation," it said, days after Rahul Gandhi met NC leaders Farooq Abdullah and Omar Abdullah as the two parties announced a tie-up for the assembly polls in the Union Territory.

The BJP said the Congress' support to JKNC reveals their true stance, and the two parties are prepared to erase the hard-won rights for SCs, STs, Hindus, and women.

It claimed, "Jammu and Kashmir will choose progress over the divisive alliance of JKNC and Congress." The BJP fielded several chief ministers who targeted Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, asking him to make it clear if he supports the NC's stand on Article 370, a separate flag and reservations for OBC.

The Congress formed an alliance with the National Conference due to its "lust for power", Uttarakhand Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami alleged.

He also posed 10 questions to the Congress and Gandhi and alleged that the Abdullahs "ruined" Jammu and Kashmir which regressed for three decades under their rule.

Describing the National Conference as a party that fomented separatism and terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir, Dhami said, "(Rahul) Gandhi owes an explanation to the nation on whether, by entering into an alliance with the National Conference, he supports the party's promise of a separate flag for Jammu and Kashmir and restoration of Article 370." "Gandhi and his party must explain whether they want to push Jammu and Kashmir back into disorder.

"Does he support separatism and cross-border terrorism and the National Conference's decision of resuming trade with Pakistan?" Dhami asked during a press conference in Dehra Dun.

Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said the "political ground" of the Congress and the NC that "reaped the harvest of hatred has become barren forever".

He also slammed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, saying his party has "again put its anti-national intentions in front of the country by allying with the National Conference of Abdullah and Sons Family Private Limited".

"The political ground of the Congress and the NC, which harvested the crop of hatred, has become barren forever," he said, adding that the issue of terrorism and separatism has merged with the water of the Chenab River.

Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Mohan Yadav alleged the alliance was aimed at bringing back anarchy in Jammu and Kashmir.

"Does Congress support a separate flag for J-K in accordance with the manifesto of NC? Does Congress want to reintroduce Article 370 and 35A in J&K?" he alleged "Does Congress wish for Shankaracharya Parvat to be known as Takht-e-Suliman and Hari Parvat as Koh-e-Maran? " the MP CM said.

Manipur Chief Minister N Biren Singh accused the Congress of compromising national unity and security to satisfy its desire for power and questioned the party's motives in allying with the NC.

"The Congress, which has repeatedly risked the nation's unity and security for power, has again exposed its ulterior motive by allying with Farooq Abdullah's NC ahead of the J&K polls," Singh said.

PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti, meanwhile, said her will extend complete support to the Congress-NC alliance if it is ready to accept her party's agenda.

She also ruled out an alliance with the BJP, with which the People's Democratic Party (PDP) had earlier run a coalition government.

"Forget about alliance and seat-sharing, if the Congress and the National Conference (NC) are ready to accept our agenda -- that resolution of the Kashmir issue is necessary and on the opening of routes -- we will tell them to contest on all the seats and we will follow you," she said.

"Because, for me, the resolution of the Kashmir problem is much more important than anything else," she added when asked if the Congress had approached the PDP for an alliance Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary said the Congres must disclose whether it was in agreement with the NC's contention on Article 370 and advocacy for Kashmir having a separate flag.

J-K BJP president Ravinder Raina described the pre-poll alliance of the Congress and National Conference (NC) as an outcome of the "growing popularity" of the BJP Polls to the 90-member assembly will be held in three phases on September 18, September 25 and October 1, while results will be announced on October 4.