National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday said his party has faced bullets for remaining with India and is prepared to do so again if necessary, dismissing 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 a two-day convention of NC block presidents and secretaries, the former chief minister laughed off remarks attributed to a senior BJP leader claiming that the NC and the PDP thrive on unrest in the region.
“Tell him 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,” Abdullah said.
Rejecting calls for a fresh bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir, Abdullah described such demands as “foolish and ignorant.” He also ruled out the creation of new districts or separate divisions within the Union Territory.
Responding to demands for separate divisions for the Pir Panjal and Chenab valleys, Abdullah said these proposals were rooted in the Dixon Plan, a 1950 proposal by UN representative Sir Owen Dixon to divide the former state of Jammu and Kashmir.
“The Dixon Plan is very old. Many people want to break the state, but they will never succeed,” he said, adding that the existing districts were sufficient and only needed effective administration.
Abdullah also criticised demands for separating Jammu from Kashmir and Ladakh, reiterating that the National Conference had never supported such ideas. Expressing hope that Ladakh, which was made a Union Territory in 2019, would one day be reunited with the former state, he said even people in Ladakh now oppose UT status.
“What benefit did Ladakh get? Even the people of Ladakh today say they want to return. Inshallah, one day Ladakh will come back,” he said.
Responding to PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti’s remarks on unemployment, Abdullah questioned her record as chief minister and that of her father, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, saying it was easy to criticise others while ignoring one’s own responsibilities.
On foreign policy issues, Abdullah commented on US President Donald Trump’s reported invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to join a proposed ‘Board of Peace’ on Gaza, saying the two leaders share a long-standing relationship that has seen ups and downs.
On the issue of talks with Pakistan, Abdullah accused sections of the media of having “Pakistan phobia” and recalled former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s remark that neighbours cannot be changed. He also rejected the notion that recklessness was limited to any one country.
