Upset with Lone but will BJP condemn its nat'l leadership's hate statements, asks Sagar

BIVEK MATHUR

JAMMU: Veteran National Conference legislator and MLA Khanyar, Ali Mohammad Sagar today said that his party, NC has disassociated itself from the remarks of Mohammad Akbar Lone but the State BJP should also muster courage to condemn anti-Muslim statements of its national leadership.
"Leader of Opposition, Omar Abdullah, I and our party men have disassociated themselves from our own MLA because he raised anti-country slogans, but I want to know whether State BJP will ever condemn the hate speeches of its national leaders? No, they will never do that," Sagar said.
NC legislator Mohammad Akbar Lone had on Saturday raised Pakistan Zindabad slogans within the State Assembly triggering a major controversy.
Speaking on the final day of 27-day-long budget session, NC leader Ali Mohammad Sagar said that a section of the national BJP leadership selectively target Muslims "as if Muslims are not part of this country."
He said, "We're also residents of this country, this state and more patriotic than you people are. But, I don't think we need to prove our nationalism to BJP leadership who spew venom against Muslims every now and then."
"Despite a passage of 70 years, Mulsims in this country are being looked like outsiders by certain people. Are only a particular community members are patriotic? No, we are even more nationalistic than anyone else but we don't want to prove our nationalism to anyone," he said.
The NC leader said that Muslims in Jammu and Kashmir feel hurt with the "irresponsible statements" of the BJP national leadership.
To this, the BJP leaders sought to know from Sagar if he (Sagar) was defending Mohammad Akbar Lone.
Replying to the BJP legislators, Sagar got angry and said, "No, I am not. But you should also muster courage to condemn your party men who spew venom against Muslims of Jammu and Kashmir and raise questions over integrity of J&K Muslims.