Respect Farooq Abdullah, But His Kashmir Statement Is "Incorrect": GN Azad

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Ghulam Nabi Azad on Sunday said National Conference president Farooq Abdullah's statement regarding Pakistani claims on Kashmir was incorrect.

He was reacting to Abdullah's statement at a party event in the Budgam district on Saturday, in which the NC president claimed that Pakistan raking up the Kashmir issue at international fora had kept the region safe.

"Look at the situation in PoK, where people are protesting for their rights. Since 1947, successive central governments, from Nehru to Modi, have contributed to J&K's development irrespective of political affiliations," Azad added.

"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 his X handle.

Shia leader and former minister Imran Ansari, while castigating the NC president, urged people not to emulate Abdullah.

"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 his X handle.

Ansari labelled the NC leadership as "rebels on rent".

"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 BJP on Saturday demanded police action against Abdullah.

"Farooq Abdullah's pro-Pakistan statement is seditious and anti-national, and he should be booked for making such remarks. A leader who has taken an oath under the Indian Constitution cannot be allowed to question the country's intentions towards its own people while giving political legitimacy to Pakistan's narrative," BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur said.

He said Pakistan "inflicted immense suffering on Jammu and Kashmir" through its sponsorship of terrorism, sending the region into 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?" the BJP leader asked. 

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)