Hamirpur (HP): Union minister Anurag Thakur has termed “anti-India” and “absurd” PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti’s statement referring to the Taliban takeover of Afghanistan to call upon the Centre to restore Jammu and Kashmir’s special status.

Addressing reporters here on Sunday night, he claimed the PDP and its allies have been upset since their exit from power and the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.

Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are on the path of development under the BJP regime, the Union information and broadcasting minister said.

Addressing Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) workers in south Kashmir’s Kulgam district on Saturday, Mehbooba asked the Centre to take a lesson out of Afghanistan where the Taliban seized power and made the US flee, and urged the government to hold dialogue in Jammu and Kashmir and return its special status.

Referring to the Taliban seizing power in Afghanistan, the former chief minister warned the Centre “to not test us” and asked the government to “mend its ways, understand the situation, and see what is happening in your neighbourhood”.

Thakur said Mehbooba’s statement is “anti-India” and “absurd”.

He claimed the PDP and its allies have been upset since their exit from power and the abrogation of Article 370 of the Constitution that accorded special status to Jammu and Kashmir.

They should understand that whatever happened in the past will not be repeated. Both Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh are on the path of development and will continue to thrive under the BJP rule. They will become model states of India, he said.

State BJP chief Suresh Kashyap, Rural Development Minister Virender Kanwar and Deputy chief whip of state government Kamlesh Kumari were also present at the press conference.

Thakur, who is also the minister for youth affairs and sports, said sports will be given priority under the New Education Policy and all modern facilities will be provided to the budding sportspersons of India.

He said sports will be promoted across the country through ‘Khel Maha Kumbh’ and budding sportspersons will be picked out from there.

Thakur said Himachal Pradesh will be developed as a modern hub of sports and will be known as ‘Khel Bhoomi’ (land of sports).

He also credited Prime Minister Narendra Modi for improving health services and curbing the spread of coronavirus in the country.

Thakur also thanked the people of Himachal Pradesh for giving him a rousing reception during his ‘Jan Ashirwad Yatra’ in the state.

He said that nearly 30,000 to 40,000 people blessed him during the yatra.

Press Trust of India