Aaqib Khan
Srinagar, Oct 24 (KNS): National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah on Saturday triggered a political row after saying Pakistan was protecting the people of Jammu and Kashmir by repeatedly raising the Kashmir issue at international forums, drawing sharp criticism from BJP leaders who accused him of making anti-national statements.
Speaking at a gathering of party workers in Baramulla, the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister as per news agency Kashmir News Service (KNS) referred to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s repeated remarks on Kashmir and questioned the Centre’s intentions towards the people of the Union Territory.
“Our neighbour is constantly after them. He goes everywhere saying that the Kashmir issue has not been resolved. He is protecting us otherwise, their intentions are not good,” Dr Farooq Abdullah said, referring to Pakistan’s position on Kashmir.
His remarks drew a sharp response from the BJP, with party leaders accusing the National Conference chief of echoing Islamabad’s position and demanding an apology.
Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Sat Sharma criticised Abdullah’s statement and said he should apologise to the people of the country. Other BJP leaders also questioned his assertion that Pakistan was protecting Kashmiris, alleging that his remarks undermined India’s position on Jammu and Kashmir.
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BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur described the remarks as reflecting what he called the National Conference’s “anti-India mindset” and demanded strict action against the party and its leaders.
“If Farooq Abdullah loves Pakistan so much, he should go there. This is an anti-national and seditious statement challenging India’s unity and integrity,” Thakur said, invoking Operation Sindoor and arguing that Jammu and Kashmir no longer needed leaders who made such statements.
The controversy comes amid continuing political differences between the National Conference and the BJP over Jammu and Kashmir’s constitutional status, the restoration of Article 370 and the demand for statehood.
Abdullah and his party have repeatedly called for the restoration of Article 370, which was abrogated by the Centre in August 2019, and the restoration of statehood to Jammu and Kashmir. The National Conference has maintained that it would continue to pursue these demands through democratic means.
The BJP, meanwhile, has defended the Centre’s 2019 decision, arguing that the move strengthened Jammu and Kashmir’s integration with the rest of the country. (KNS)
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