National Conference president Farooq Abdullah has made a highly controversial and significant statement regarding Kashmir. He credited the neighboring country Pakistan with protecting Kashmiris and keeping the Kashmir issue alive on international forums, while while addressing party workers in Baramulla on Saturday, Abdullah explicitly stated that Pakistan consistently raises the issue across the globe that no final decision has been made on Kashmir to date. He further added that Delhi's silence on the matter is a result of immense international pressure.
Addressing a party workers conference in Baramulla, the National Conference president referred to Pakistan as our neighboring country and stated that it continues to raise the unresolved Kashmir issue on global platforms, while he claimed that due to this diplomatic stance by Pakistan, the attention of the entire world is drawn toward Kashmir, putting severe pressure on New Delhi. Abdullah remarked in his address that our neighboring country draws the world's attention to Kashmir and compels Delhi to remain silent. They're quiet today because of global pressure, and our neighboring country is after them, going everywhere to state that no decision has yet been made on Kashmir, and that it's saving them. However, he also added that he doesn't consider the intentions of the neighboring country to be entirely noble.
During his address, Farooq Abdullah also raised serious questions over the hope of getting justice from the national capital, Delhi. Interacting with party workers in Baramulla, he asked the people whether they would continue to rely solely on Delhi and if they genuinely felt that they would ever get justice from there. Continuing his remarks, Abdullah asked the gathering if they would keep their hopes pinned only on them and whether they truly believed that they would deliver justice. He urged the public to stay courageous, stating that they would face them, and warned that if they failed to gather courage, they would be completely wiped out, losing their name and identity entirely.
As soon as Farooq Abdullah's statement came to light, it triggered a major political uproar across the country. The Bharatiya Janata Party strongly condemned his remarks, terming them highly deplorable and extremely unfortunate. Senior BJP leader Ravinder Raina leveled direct allegations of sedition against Farooq Abdullah, stating that Pakistan has continuously promoted terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir for decades. Raina stated that the remarks made by Dr. Farooq Abdullah regarding Kashmir and Pakistan are deeply deplorable and unfortunate, and that he has effectively committed an act of sedition. Raina called Pakistan the murderer of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
The BJP leader further elaborated that for the past thirty-five years, Pakistan has been relentlessly attempting to turn Jammu and Kashmir into a graveyard and cremation ground. He asserted that this is the very same Pakistan that nurtured and promoted terrorism in the valley, provided specialized training to terrorists, and supplied them with deadly bombs, modern guns, pistols, ammunition, and dangerous hand grenades. Raina questioned how Pakistan could ever be considered a well-wisher of the people of Jammu and Kashmir.
Abdullah's remarks regarding Pakistan's diplomatic role in keeping the Kashmir dispute alive on global forums in recent years are being regarded as one of his most explicit public statements. This commentary, identifying Pakistan as a protector of Kashmiris on such a sensitive issue, is expected to intensify political debates. While Pakistan has long raised the Kashmir issue at international platforms, India has consistently maintained that it's an internal matter and has continually given fitting replies to Pakistan. It's worth noting that Farooq Abdullah has previously made several sensational statements regarding the sensitive Kashmir issue.