Farooq Abdullah Questions Centre’s Kashmir Policy; BJP Demands Legal Action Over Remarks

Speaking at a National Conference gathering in Baramulla, the former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister urges people to defend their rights and reaffirms his party’s commitment to India. The BJP accuses him of echoing Pakistan’s position.

Baramulla: A fresh political controversy has erupted in Jammu and Kashmir after National Conference president Farooq Abdullah questioned the Centre’s approach to the Kashmir issue and made critical remarks about its intentions.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) strongly objected to his comments and demanded legal action against the former chief minister.

Abdullah made the remarks on Saturday while addressing a gathering of National Conference workers and leaders in Baramulla in north Kashmir.

He suggested that international attention to Kashmir, including Pakistan’s efforts to raise the issue abroad, could influence how the region’s future unfolds.

Questioning the Centre’s silence, Abdullah said Pakistan continued to raise Kashmir at international forums, arguing that the issue had not been finally resolved.

He suggested that New Delhi’s public position did not necessarily reflect its actual intentions towards the people of the region.

The former chief minister did not, however, present his criticism as a rejection of India. Instead, he insisted that the National Conference did not oppose the country and wanted Jammu and Kashmir to progress alongside the rest of the nation.

Abdullah urges people to defend their rights.

During his address, Abdullah asked people not to rely on the expectation that the central government would automatically address their concerns.

He urged them to remain united, speak openly about their difficulties, and stand firmly by what they believed to be the truth.

He warned that failing to defend their rights could weaken the community’s future. Although the struggle for justice might be difficult, he argued, people needed to remain determined and make their concerns heard.

Abdullah also sought to clarify his party’s position on India.

He said the National Conference had never claimed that its members were not Indians and referred to the country’s founding political ideals associated with Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.

He maintained that the party wanted to advance its political and social aspirations within India and did not seek to take away the rights of others.

He also called on the country’s leadership to reconsider its approach and correct what he viewed as shortcomings in its handling of Kashmir.

Referring to the region’s turbulent past, Abdullah said Kashmiris had endured difficult periods under different rulers, including the Afghans, Mughals, Sikhs and Dogras.

He argued that the hardships faced by people today would also eventually pass, just as earlier periods of suffering had come to an end.

BJP calls remarks anti-national

The BJP responded sharply, with its Jammu and Kashmir spokesperson Altaf Thakur accusing Abdullah of giving credibility to Pakistan’s position on Kashmir.

He demanded that the authorities register a case against the National Conference leader, describing the remarks as anti-national and calling for strict action.

In a video statement, Thakur alleged that Abdullah’s comments reflected what he described as the National Conference’s longstanding political outlook.

He accused the party of making statements that, in the BJP’s view, undermined India’s position on Kashmir.

Thakur also challenged Abdullah to consider conditions in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, claiming that people living there wanted to escape Pakistan’s control and become part of India.

These assertions were made by the BJP spokesperson as part of his response to Abdullah.

The BJP leader further accused Pakistan of contributing to decades of violence in Jammu and Kashmir through its alleged support for terrorism.

He said the region’s history of killings, bloodshed and insecurity had to be considered when evaluating Pakistan’s attempts to raise the Kashmir question internationally.

Thakur questioned how Pakistan could be portrayed as a potential protector of Kashmiris when, according to the BJP, its policies had contributed to suffering in the region.

He also accused the National Conference leadership of not giving sufficient recognition to the sacrifices made by security personnel and civilians in the fight against terrorism.

The BJP maintained that people in Jammu and Kashmir wanted stability, peace and economic development, and argued that political statements should not strengthen Pakistan’s claims over the region.

The controversy has once again brought competing political positions on Kashmir into the spotlight.

Abdullah has called for greater attention to the rights and concerns of the people while asserting his party’s commitment to India.

The BJP, meanwhile, has accused him of crossing a political line and demanded legal action over his remarks.

No conclusion about criminal liability can be drawn from the political accusations alone; any legal action would have to follow the applicable law and due process.