Congress distances itself from Farooq's Pakistan 'saved' Kashmiris remark

NEW DELHI: The Jammu and Kashmir Congress has distanced itself from National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah’s remarks that Pakistan was helping Kashmiris by keeping the Kashmir issue alive at international fora.“The Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee has distanced itself from the statement of NC president Farooq Abdullah and asserted that Pakistan has no right to talk about or interfere in our internal affairs as J&K is an integral part of India,” J&K Congress chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma said in a post on X.However, speaking to reporters, Sharma said Abdullah’s remarks appeared to reflect frustration over the Centre’s failure to fulfil its promise to restore statehood to Jammu and Kashmir.“Pakistan has consistently waged a proxy war against India and caused the deaths of innocent people in J&K by sponsoring terrorism. Pakistan’s role in promoting terrorism must be condemned, and strict action should continue against it,” Sharma said, reiterating that the Congress was firmly opposed to any interference by Pakistan in India’s internal affairs.Sharma said Abdullah should clarify the intent behind his remarks, adding that opposition to Pakistan-sponsored terrorism and the demand for restoration of statehood were separate but equally important issues.

He also suggested that Abdullah’s comments were directed at what he described as discrimination against minorities across the country and the policies pursued by BJP governments in various states.“The remarks reflected resentment against a pattern of oppression and discrimination,” the Congress leader said.Sharma further said Jammu and Kashmir continued to face resentment over the delay in restoring statehood, despite repeated assurances by the Centre before the Supreme Court, Parliament and the public.Meanwhile, some Kashmiri Pandit groups have filed a police complaint seeking an FIR against the former chief minister over his comments.His remarks drew criticism from some Kashmiri Pandit groups, which lodged a police complaint seeking the registration of an FIR against the former chief minister.Meanwhile, Kashmiri Pandit groups Panun Kashmir and the Jammu State People's Movement (JSPM) have lodged a police complaint at the Channi police station in Jammu, seeking the registration of an FIR against Abdullah over his remarks.The complaint, submitted by Panun Kashmir chairman Tito Ganju and JSPM chairman Col Ajay Raina (retd), sought an investigation into statements attributed to Abdullah concerning the constitutional status of Jammu and Kashmir and alleged religious polarisation.It cited his reported remarks questioning the prospects of justice from the Union government and warning that the people of J&K risked losing their identity if they failed to confront the prevailing political circumstances.The complainants also referred to remarks attributed to Abdullah about the demolition of mosques, homes and shops, as well as his assertion that Hindus and Muslims were being pitted against each other. They urged the police to examine the statements in their entirety, taking into account their context, the audience addressed and their potential implications.The complaint sought an FIR under Sections 152, 196 and 197 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), along with any other provisions that may apply based on the investigation.The provisions cited concern acts endangering India's sovereignty, unity and integrity, promoting enmity between groups, and certain imputations or assertions prejudicial to national integration, a Panun Kashmir spokesperson said.BJP leader Jahanzaib Sirwal also criticised Abdullah, accusing him of double standards for invoking Pakistan to question India's intentions while overlooking the suffering of people across the Line of Control.“It was deeply unfortunate that a leader who has dominated J&K’s political landscape for decades continues to rely on the Pakistan narrative rather than account for the consequences of his own politics.“Farooq Sahib has spent decades building a political narrative around Pakistan, but has he ever honestly answered what this politics has delivered to the people of J&K?“His party does not have to seek votes in Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir, but that cannot be an excuse to remain silent on the atrocities and sufferings of the people living there.

Human rights cannot be selective, and political morality cannot change with electoral convenience,” Sirwal said.He added that the NC leadership must stop treating Pakistan as a convenient political instrument to invoke whenever it suited its narrative.

What Farooq Abdullah saidAddressing a party event in Baramulla on Saturday, Abdullah questioned whether people in Jammu and Kashmir could expect justice from the Centre.“What hope will you (people of J&K) have from them (Delhi)? Will you expect that they will do justice for you?" he said.Urging Kashmiris to remain courageous in confronting Delhi, Abdullah warned that their identity could disappear if they failed to do so.“If not, you will be erased. Even our trace and identity will disappear. 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.