Ghulam Nabi Azad rejected Farooq Abdullah’s claim that Pakistan’s Kashmir campaign protects the region. The remarks intensified criticism from the BJP and other political leaders.
Former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Sunday hit back at National Conference president Farooq Abdullah over his claim that Pakistan was protecting the people of Jammu and Kashmir by raising the Kashmir issue internationally, saying Pakistan is the enemy of India and the people of the Union Territory.
“I respect Farooq sahab, but his statement is completely incorrect. If anyone is an enemy of India and the people of J&K, it is Pakistan,” Azad posted on X.
Pointing to the situation in Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK), Azad said people there were protesting for their rights. He also credited successive Central governments with contributing to Jammu and Kashmir’s development since Independence.
“Since 1947, successive Central governments, from Nehru to Modi, have contributed to J&K’s development, irrespective of political affiliations,” he added.
Azad’s remarks came a day after Abdullah triggered a political row with his comments at a party workers’ convention in north Kashmir’s Baramulla district, where he argued that Pakistan’s repeated references to Kashmir at international forums had helped protect the region.
WHAT FAROOQ ABDULLAH SAID ABOUT PAKISTAN
Abdullah, who heads the National Conference (NC), said Pakistan’s continued efforts to raise the Kashmir issue internationally were protecting Jammu and Kashmir, while questioning the Centre’s intentions towards the region.
“Our neighbour (Pakistan) is constantly after them. He (Pak PM Shehbaz Sharif) goes everywhere saying that the Kashmir issue has not been resolved. He is protecting us; otherwise, their (Centre’s) intentions are not good,” Abdullah said at the Baramulla event on Saturday.
He also questioned whether people in Jammu and Kashmir could expect justice from the Centre and urged them to stand up for their rights and identity.
“What can you expect from Delhi? Do you expect them to deliver justice for you? Have the courage to fight, or you will be wiped out, and your identity will disappear,” he said.
Abdullah’s remarks drew sharp criticism from the BJP, which accused him of giving political legitimacy to Pakistan’s position on Kashmir and demanded action against him.
IMRAN ANSARI CALLS NC LEADERS ‘REBELS ON RENT’
Shia leader and former minister Imran Ansari also criticised Abdullah, urging Kashmiris not to follow the National Conference president’s example.
“Just a humble and brotherly request to my fellow Kashmiris. Please do not emulate Farooq sahab. He and some select band are free to say anything,” Ansari posted on X.
Ansari accused the NC leadership of enjoying freedoms that ordinary Kashmiris did not have, describing its political dissent as a “rented rebellion”.
“Their so-called rebellion is a rented rebellion. This space is allowed only for a select few. Whatever they say is allowed. If a common Kashmiri speaks in a similar tone, the government will in seconds put that person in detention under PSA or UAPA,” he added.
The Public Safety Act (PSA) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) are among the laws under which authorities can detain or prosecute people, subject to their respective legal provisions.
BJP DEMANDS POLICE ACTION, SEEKS APOLOGY
The BJP on Saturday demanded police action against Abdullah, describing his remarks as seditious and anti-national.
BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur said Abdullah should be booked for making the comments, arguing that a leader who had taken an oath under the Indian Constitution could not question the country’s intentions towards its own people while giving political legitimacy to Pakistan’s narrative.
Thakur also accused Pakistan of inflicting immense suffering on Jammu and Kashmir through its sponsorship of terrorism, which he said had led to decades of violence and targeted killings.
“Pakistan has given Kashmir nothing but terrorism, bloodshed, fear and uncertainty. Does Farooq Abdullah expect the people of Kashmir to forget this painful history and believe that Pakistan is their saviour?” he asked.
Jammu and Kashmir BJP chief Sat Sharma also demanded a public apology from Abdullah, arguing that the freedom to make such remarks was itself guaranteed by India.
“Farooq Abdullah needs to understand that he has the freedom to say whatever he wishes in this country. It is precisely because of this freedom that he is able to make such statements. Had you made these remarks in Pakistan, you might not have been spared,” Sharma told news agency ANI.