National Conference chief and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Dr. Farooq Abdullah on Thursday said that Lord Ram was sent by Allah to preach and guide everyone, adding that he is everyone’s god.
Addressing a rally by the Panthers party in the union territory, he said, "Bhagwan Ram is not the god of Hindus only. Please remove this notion from your mind. Bhagwan Ram is god of everyone - be it a Muslim or Christian or American or Russian, who has faith in him."
He referred to a Pakistani writer while making the comment.
"Those who come to you saying we are only disciples of Ram - they are fools. They want to sell in the name of Ram. They do not have a love for Ram but for power," he further said.
He said that it was possible that the government might inaugurate the Ram temple in Ayodhya when the elections in J&K are held to divert the attention.
"I think when elections are announced in J&K they will inaugurate Ram temple to divert the attention of the common man," he said, as quoted by PTI.
He added that a huge amount of money will be spent, and the Ram temple issue will be raised during the elections in Jammu and Kashmir. He warned people against religious polarisation ahead of the election in the Union Territory. "They will use 'Hindus are in danger' a lot during the elections... but I request you to not fall prey to it."
Speaking over the unity among the opposition parties in the country, Abdullah said, "There will be no hurdle in our unity. Whether it is Congress, NC, or Panthers. We will fight and die for people. But we all will remain united." He further raised questions about electronic voting machines (EVMs) and asked people to remain cautious about its use.