Srinagar: Union Minister for New and Renewable Energy Farooq Abdullah on Sunday said, having Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi as Prime Minister will be "dangerous and damaging" for the nation's secular ethos.
"National Conference (NC) has nothing to do with either Modi or BJP or Sangh (Parivar). We want to stay far and would not get into any agreements with them. That (Modi as PM) will be dangerous and damaging for the Indian secular ethos," Abdullah told reporters while replying to a question.
The Union Minister, however, supported Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for the post of Prime Minister. "Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh) has said it, it is good. He has seen him (Rahul), even I have seen him and I think he is good. He is young and a good choice and now he has to decide and bear the burden of this nation on his shoulders," Abdullah said.
Replying to a question on reports of a possible meeting between the Prime Minister and his Pakistani counterpart Nawaz Sharif on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly, Abdullah said, "Talks between the two leaders would depend on how the situation would be then. Pressures are always going to be there. The talks between the two Prime Ministers will depend on how the situation would be when the Prime Minister (Manmohan Singh) reaches America and how much relations between India and Pakistan would have improved by then, because political pressures will surely have an effect on this," he said.
Earlier, the Union Minister released four books on Kashmir including the English translation of the autobiography of his father and NC founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah, "The Blazing Chinar" at SKICC in Srinagar. Abdullah said the English translation of "The Blazing Chinar" is a step in the right direction and would provide an insight into the personality of Sheikh Adbullah.
"His personality has been misunderstood by people. There is one thinking about him in Delhi and another in Srinagar. Hopefully, a time will come when people will understand him," the Union Minister said, adding there is a need to have a thorough research on the Sheikh's life so that both "good and bad" come in front of people. Abdullah also appealed to the people to remain united against those who want to divide them on religious lines. "There is a disaster in offing in the country. There are people who want to divide you on religious lines. But, you should not fight the battle of religion," he said.
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