Former prime minister Manmohan Singh attacked the Modi government over its economic policies

The BJP has pointed out what it claims are inconsistencies in the Congress's stand on the government's move to scrap special status to Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370 of the Constitution and divide the state into two Union Territories.

BJP social media cell chief Amit Malviya today tweeted two videos - one showing former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh's press briefing on Thursday, and the other Congress MP Manish Tewari speaking on air - on the centre's Kashmir move.

"Where does Congress party stand on the abrogation of Article 370? Well, Dr Manmohan Singh clearly doesn't know..." Mr Malviya tweeted along with the videos. "The Congress has started making Manmohan (Singh) lie on Article 370," he tweeted in Hindi.

Where does Congress party stand on the abrogation of article 370? Well, Dr Manmohan Singh clearly doesn't know... pic.twitter.com/RALs3EjRLO — Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) October 18, 2019

For the most part of his press briefing in Mumbai on Thursday, Dr Singh criticised the economic policies of the government led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. However, to a question by a reporter on the Congress's stand on the Kashmir issue, Dr Singh said, "The Congress party, when the bill came in parliament on Article 370, when discussions came up, voted for it, not against it."

In the video where Mr Tewari is seen speaking after the centre's move on Kashmir in August, the Congress MP said, "Well, I am surprised you don't know what the official position of the Congress party is because the Congress party in Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha voted against both the abrogation of Article 370 as well as the dismemberment of Jammu and Kashmir, its truncation into two Union Territories. The Congress working committee officially passed a resolution to that effect, so that's the position of the Congress party."

The BJP social media cell chief then took a swipe at Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son and party MP Rahul Gandhi. "Have some shame Sonia-Rahul Gandhi," Mr Malviya said in a hardcoded caption below the two videos.

Restrictions have been eased from Jammu and Kashmir and post-paid mobile connections are active.

"He (Dr Singh) has on many occasions in the past willingly suppressed facts and provided cover for the Congress's unprincipled position. It does not behove a former prime minister to misrepresent facts," Mr Malviya told news agency IANS.

Dr Singh had been a frequent target of the BJP over the massive scam in auction of the scarce 2G spectrum when the United Progressive Alliance government was in power. The BJP has frequently blamed the former prime minister for allegedly not seeing what it claims was obvious.

PM Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah and other senior leaders of the BJP have been attacking the Congress over the Kashmir issue in election rallies. Polling for the legislatures of Haryana and Maharashtra is on Monday. By-elections will also be held in many states.

Restrictions have been eased from Jammu and Kashmir and post-paid mobile connections are active.