Jammu, Dec 11 (PTI) Advising the BJP-RSS to refrain from"generating passions and exploiting public sentiments",especially during the Gujarat polls, National Conference (NC)chief Farooq Abdullah today said the growing trend of dividingthe nation on religious lines was detrimental to nationalinterest and such a tendency should be eschewed at all costs.
He also expressed concern over "vitiating" the ongoingGujarat Assembly polls on the basis of religion and said itwas the "saddest development in the Indian polity".
In a statement issued here, Abdullah advised the BJP-RSSto refrain from "generating passions and exploiting publicsentiments", especially during elections, and said the growingtrend of dividing the nation on religious lines wasdetrimental to national interest and such a tendency should beeschewed at all costs.
He lamented the "attempts to provoke" the people to fightover "mandir-masjid" issues just in furtherance of politicalobjectives.
"India does not belong to a specific religion, but it isa beautiful vase of flowers of different colours. People ofall the faiths have equal rights in a secular India," theformer Union minister said.
He added that in the prevailing "vicious atmosphere", theNC had a challenging role in keeping the flag of secularismaloft.
Abdullah decried the "exploitation" of religioussentiments for political and electoral gains, saying PrimeMinister Narendra Modi should take a lead in ending thismalady in the larger interest of retaining the secular fabricof the country.
"(Narendra) Modi is the prime minister of all,irrespective of religious or regional affiliations and thisfact should neither be ignored nor undermined," he said,hoping that Modi would not allow himself to get swayed bypetty politics.
Addressing the NC's other backward class cellfunctionaries at the Sher-e-Kashmir Bhavan here, the formerJammu and Kashmir chief minister hoped that the prime ministerwould appreciate the danger communal polarisation posed andsaid the country should also introspect over the sordid stateof its political affairs.
"The country of Mahatma Gandhi cannot afford to getfragmented into bits and pieces on the basis of religion tosatiate the agendas of a few political outfits," he said.
The NC leader, however, mentioned that nothing bettercould be expected from the reactionary forces, who were nowtaking pride in "decorating the killer of the Father of theNation".
Meanwhile, a retired police officer today joined the NCin the presence of Abdullah at the party headquarters.
Abdullah welcomed retired superintendent of police RishiDogra into the party-fold and said the NC was a natural choicefor all those who wanted to serve the people of Jammu andKashmir and work towards strengthening the peace andtranquillity of the state. PTI TAS ABRC.
This is unedited, unformatted feed from the Press Trust of India wire.