National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Sunday slammed the critics of former prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru and Indira Gandhi and said he was hurt by "derogatory remarks" against the towering national leaders.

The former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister said he had a lot of respect for the two Congress stalwarts despite the fact that Nehru jailed his father and National Conference founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah and Gandhi dismissed his government in 1984.

“The role of Nehru during and after the freedom struggle is praiseworthy. He led the country in the freedom struggle and later when we were even dependent on a small needle from outside, he laid the foundation of the industrial revolution and made the country atomic power.

“We used to import wheat from America which was not even good for animals. But Gandhi revolutionized the agriculture sector and we started exporting the surplus grains,” he said.

Abdullah said the contribution of the two leaders in nation-building is exemplary. “What India is today is because of Nehru and Gandhi.”

“Nehru jailed my father, while Gandhi dismissed my government...But I have a lot of respect for them because of their contribution to the country,” he said.

Without naming BJP, Abdullah said those pointing fingers at them will face the same situation when they will be out of power. "This is the law of nature that as you sow, so shall you reap," he said.