Bihar polls: INDIA bloc leaders to meet in Delhi next week, says NC prez Farooq Abdullah

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Saturday said the Congress has convened a meeting of the opposition leaders in New Delhi on August 7 to deliberate on the Bihar Assembly elections likely to be held in October-November.

The National Conference president also expressed confidence over the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.

"We have faith in the one who is the master of all. We will get our rights," he said.

Responding to a question on Rahul Gandhi claiming that his party has an "atom bomb" of evidence to prove "vote chori" by the Election Commission for the BJP, Abdullah stated the Congress leader "has said that they have made such an arrangement that they will win the Bihar elections".

"I am going to meet him. All the leaders (of INDIA bloc) have been called for a meeting on August 7 and I will find out (the truth)," he told reporters in Jammu.

Gandhi claimed on Friday that his party has an "atom bomb" of evidence to prove "vote chori" by the Election Commission for the BJP and said that when it explodes the poll panel will have no place to hide anywhere in the country.

The former chief minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir reached Jammu this afternoon to express condolences to party's provincial president Rattan Lal Gupta on the death of his wife and the family of an acquaintance, who died last month.

When asked why his party is not supporting the Congress, which has announced a chain hunger strike from August 9 to 21 for restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir, Abdullah said the National Conference is already fighting for public cause.

"We are fighting for it (restoration of statehood). When did we stop talking? Whenever (chief minister) Omar Abdullah met the prime minister (Narendra Modi), he raised this issue with him," said Abdullah.

"We have faith in the one who is the master of all. We will get our rights," he added.

Asked about his demand from Prime Minister Modi since Parliament is in session, the National Conference president said that people, who could not fill four seats of the Rajya Sabha and two vacant assembly seats -- Nagrota in Jammu and Budgam in Kashmir -- since the formation of the Jammu and Kashmir government than what is expected of them.

On the BJP's claim about massive development post abrogation of Article 370, Abdullah said, "I will not say anything. Whatever the BJP says, it keeps on saying." "(US President Donald) Trump also keeps on shouting that I got peace done. Today they have imposed a 25 per cent tariff on us and have also imposed a penalty. The material for our destruction is being prepared. All our industrialists are running away. They will work from Dubai. Our people are already jobless and we will have more unemployment," he added.

Highlighting that some countries supported Trump for a Nobel Prize, the National Conference president said, "We do not know the name of some of these (nations). What would have happened if we had also supported him? He is the master of the world." "Believe it or not, it is destruction for us, while countries like Bangladesh and Cambodia are going to be benefitted. They will be happy because India is the major supplier and it will have to sit outside," he added.

Abdullah refused to give a direct reply on former BJP MP Pragya Singh Thakur's claim that there was a lot of pressure on her to name Prime Minister Modi in the Malegaon blast case.

"Don't ask me such questions. We are already in a lot of trouble. If we get out of this trouble, then we will see," he said.

Nearly 17 years after the Malegaon blast claimed six lives, a special court in Mumbai on Thursday acquitted all seven accused, including Thakur and Lieutenant Colonel Prasad Purohit, noting that there was "no reliable and cogent evidence" against them.