In the realm of Srinagar, situated in the region of Jammu and Kashmir, a verbal skirmish unfolded between Ghulam Nabi Azad, President of the Democratic Progressive Azad Party (DPAP), and Farooq Abdullah, the leader of the National Conference. The catalyst for this exchange was Azad’s assertion that Abdullah had clandestinely rendezvoused with Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah under the shroud of night.

This contention arose in the wake of media reports, purporting that Ghulam Nabi Azad had declared that Farooq Abdullah had nocturnal meetings with PM Modi and Amit Shah. Reacting to these allegations, Abdullah countered by expressing his willingness to meet the Prime Minister or the Home Minister during daylight hours, challenging Azad to justify the smear campaign against him.

“Why would I choose the cover of night to meet PM Modi or Union Home Minister Amit Shah? What rationale underlies Azad’s attempt to besmirch my reputation? In times when no one was willing to extend a Rajya Sabha seat, I generously offered him one. Yet today, he levies such accusations,” retorted the National Conference Chief.

“They harbor intentions to tarnish my character and entangle my name in every affair. Azad should disclose the identities of his operatives stationed at the residences of the PM and Union Home Minister. Let him unveil the truth for people to comprehend,” he added.

However, Azad, clarifying his earlier remarks to ANI, stated, “I never asserted that Farooq Abdullah had a meeting with PM Modi. My statement conveyed that, based on sources in Delhi, it has been noted that he endeavors to engage with the central leadership, and that too exclusively during the nocturnal hours. I did not state that he secured a meeting or appointment.”

In the midst of this verbal sparring, Farooq Abdullah declared on Thursday that his party would independently participate in the upcoming parliamentary elections, a move perceived as another setback for the opposition INDIA bloc. During discussions with reporters in Srinagar regarding seat allocation, the National Conference chief declared, “As far as seat sharing is concerned, NC will embark on the electoral journey independently, and there is no room for doubt in that assertion.”