Kathua, Sep 19 (IANS): BJP National General Secretary Tarun Chugh on Thursday accused the National Conference and the Congress of advancing Pakistan's agenda during the Jammu and Kashmir elections.

Chugh's charges came following Pakistan Defence Minister Khawaja Asif's remarks to a Pakistani TV channel, where he claimed that his country and the NC-Congress alliance are aligned in their efforts to restore Article 370 and 35(A).

The BJP leader, who is also the party in charge of Jammu and Kashmir, said that this has exposed their true intentions of furthering Pakistan's objectives.

This not only reveals Pakistan's intention to interfere in the Jammu and Kashmir elections but also shows that the Abdullahs of the NC and the Gandhis of the Congress are taking directives from across the border to create unrest and chaos in the region, he added.

Chugh demanded that the Abdullah and Gandhi families clarify their connections with Pakistan's ISI, describing it as shameful that an alliance with anti-national motives was acting at the behest of Pakistani forces and deceiving the people of the Union Territory.

He also highlighted that the Abdullah family had earlier followed an agenda set by Pakistan’s ISI to hinder the progress and development of Jammu and Kashmir. “The primary goal of the Abdullah and Gandhi families has been to keep Jammu and Kashmir in turmoil to protect their vested political interests, leaving the common people to suffer," Chugh alleged.

The BJP leader voiced strong opposition to this "dangerous alliance" involving Pakistan, the NC, and Congress, and warned the people of Jammu and Kashmir not to be misled, especially as voting has already begun for the Assembly elections.

He said, that as long as even a single worker of the BJP is alive, Articles 370 and 35A will not be restored in Jammu and Kashmir.

The first phase of Assembly elections in the Union Territory on Wednesday passed off peacefully with nearly 60 per cent polling, according to the Election Commission.