Srinagar: National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah’s remarks that Pakistan’s continued efforts to raise the Kashmir issue at international forums were ‘saving’ Kashmiris have triggered a political row, with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders condemning his comments and demanding an apology.
Addressing a party event in Baramulla district of north Kashmir, Abdullah questioned whether the people of Jammu and Kashmir could expect justice from the Centre and urged them to stand up for their identity and rights.
“What hope will you (people of J-K) have from them (Delhi)? Will you expect that they will do justice for you?” he asked.
Abdullah said international pressure over the unresolved Kashmir issue was helping protect Kashmiris, arguing that Pakistan’s continued efforts to raise the matter globally had kept it alive.
“They are silent today because there is noise in the world, and our neighbour is constantly behind this. Everywhere they say, ‘the decision regarding Kashmir has not been made’. That is what is saving us. Otherwise, their intentions are not good,” he said.
Abdullah asserted that the people of Jammu and Kashmir had never denied being Indian, referring to the legacy of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad. He expressed concern over what he described as growing divisions between Hindus and Muslims for political gain.
Reacting to Abdullah’s remarks, Jammu and Kashmir BJP president Sat Sharma demanded an apology to the people of India, questioning whether the NC leader would enjoy the same freedom of expression in Pakistan.
Sharma accused Abdullah of making statements that undermined India’s interests and defended the Centre’s policies in Jammu and Kashmir, citing the abrogation of Article 370. He said the change had restored rights to women, West Pakistan refugees, the Valmiki community and the Gorkha community.
He also asserted that Muslims in Jammu and Kashmir were safe under India’s protection and criticised Abdullah for suggesting that Pakistan’s international campaign on Kashmir was beneficial to the region.
Jammu and Kashmir BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur described Abdullah’s remarks as ‘seditious and anti-national’ and demanded police action against him.
Thakur accused the NC president of lending political legitimacy to Pakistan’s position while overlooking the suffering caused by Pakistan-sponsored terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.
“Pakistan has given Kashmir nothing but terrorism, bloodshed, fear and uncertainty,” Thakur said, arguing that Pakistan’s attempts to raise the Kashmir issue internationally could not erase its responsibility for violence in the region.
Former Union minister Arjun Munda also condemned Abdullah’s reported remarks, calling them unfortunate and condemnable if accurately reported. He said the comments reflected the NC leader’s view of the country.
BJP general secretary Amar Kumar Bauri defended the Centre’s policies in Jammu and Kashmir, citing development initiatives, improved connectivity and efforts to curb terrorism following the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A.
Bauri alleged that Abdullah’s criticism stemmed from the withdrawal of special privileges and concessions that he and his family had enjoyed under previous Congress-led governments.
Former Rajya Sabha MP and BJP leader Deepak Prakash criticised Abdullah’s remarks, describing Kashmir as an integral part of India. Invoking the concept of ‘Akhand Bharat’, he said Pakistan was also part of the idea of an undivided India and called for Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoK) to return to India.
BJP MP Mukesh Dalal accused Abdullah and his family of repeatedly taking what he described as anti-India positions. Rajya Sabha MP Upendra Kushwaha, meanwhile, attributed Jammu and Kashmir’s stability to its people, the Government of India and the local administration.
The controversy centres on Pakistan’s role in raising the Kashmir issue internationally and the BJP’s defence of the Centre’s policies, including the abrogation of Articles 370 and 35A and its development and security initiatives in the Union Territory.