Have Faced Bullets for the Nation, Ready to Do So Again: Farooq Abdullah
NC chief rejects BJP’s allegations, opposes further bifurcation and divisions in Jammu and Kashmir
Jammu, Jan 20: National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday asserted that his party has made sacrifices for India and remains ready to do so again, strongly rejecting the BJP’s allegation that the NC wants to revive stone pelting and terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the NC’s two-day convention of block presidents and secretaries, the former chief minister dismissed calls for further bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir as “foolish and ignorant.” He also ruled out the creation of new districts or separate divisions within the Union Territory.
Reacting to claims by a senior BJP leader that the NC and PDP thrive on unrest, Abdullah said such allegations were baseless. “Those who want to create disturbance are them, not us. We have taken bullets for staying with India, and we are ready to take them again if needed,” he said.
Abdullah reiterated that the NC has never supported the separation of Ladakh from the erstwhile state and expressed hope that the region would one day be reunited with Jammu and Kashmir. “Even people in Ladakh today say they do not want Union Territory status. This is the state of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh, and, Inshallah, one day Ladakh will return,” he said.
He also criticised demands for divisional status for the Pir Panjal and Chenab valleys, terming them part of the decades-old Dixon Plan, which proposed dividing the state along the Chenab River. “Many people want to break the state, but they will never succeed,” Abdullah asserted, adding that the existing districts were adequate and needed better administration rather than further division.
Responding to PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti’s remarks on rising unemployment, Abdullah questioned her performance and that of her father, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, during their tenures as chief ministers, saying criticism was easy in hindsight.
On foreign policy, Abdullah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump shared a long-standing relationship, expressing hope that any strains would be resolved. He also cautioned against what he termed “Pakistan phobia,” recalling former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s remark that neighbours cannot be changed.
