BJP marks accession day in Srinagar, demands action over Farooq Abdullah’s Pakistan remarks

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) marked Jammu and Kashmir’s Accession Day at its Srinagar headquarters on Monday, distributing sweets and raising patriotic slogans, while using the occasion to criticise National Conference president Farooq Abdullah over his recent remarks on Pakistan’s role in keeping the Kashmir issue alive internationally.

BJP leaders and party workers assembled at the headquarters to commemorate October 26, 1947, when the erstwhile princely state of Jammu and Kashmir acceded to India following the signing of the Instrument of Accession by Maharaja Hari Singh.

The observance comes against the backdrop of longstanding political differences over the significance of Accession Day in the Kashmir Valley. While the date was previously marked in some areas by shutdown calls and protests, the BJP and its supporters have increasingly used the occasion for public celebrations, particularly following the abrogation of Article 370 in August 2019.

Speaking to reporters, BJP Jammu and Kashmir spokesperson Altaf Thakur launched a sharp attack on Abdullah over his recent comments regarding Pakistan and the Kashmir issue. Thakur termed the remarks unacceptable and demanded that a case be registered against the National Conference chief.

He also called on Abdullah to apologise to the people of Jammu and Kashmir and the country, adding that he should leave for Pakistan if he continued to make such statements. Thakur accused the NC president of expressing sympathy towards Pakistan despite the impact of cross-border terrorism in the region.

Abdullah’s remarks were made during a National Conference workers’ convention in Baramulla on Saturday. His comments triggered criticism from BJP leaders, who accused him of lending support to Pakistan’s position on Kashmir and called for an apology and legal action.

The BJP also targeted the Congress over a separate controversy involving remarks by its party president about the Prime Minister’s father. BJP leaders in Srinagar staged a protest over the issue, with Thakur condemning the comments and accusing the Congress of crossing political boundaries.