'Seditious and anti-national': BJP slams Farooq Abdullah over Pakistan, Kashmiris remark; demands legal action

The BJP on Saturday (October 24) hit out at National Conference president Farooq Abdullah following his statements on Pakistan’s role in highlighting the Kashmir issue at the international level, which triggered a political row. In response, Jammu and Kashmir BJP spokesperson Altaf Thakur called Abdullah’s remarks “seditious and anti-national", demanding legal action against him.

Abdullah's remarks came while addressing a party workers’ convention in Baramulla, Jammu and Kashmir, on Saturday. During his speech, while referring to Pakistan’s international campaign on Kashmir, he said, “Pakistan is going to many places and talking about Kashmiris. That is why the people of Jammu and Kashmir are being saved. Otherwise, India’s intentions towards Kashmiris are not right."

Following the speech, his comments attracted an immediate response from the BJP, with Thakur condemning the NC chief for giving legitimacy to Pakistan’s position on Kashmir and questioning India’s intentions towards its own citizens. “Farooq Abdullah’s pro-Pakistan statement is seditious and anti-national, and he should be booked for making such remarks," Thakur said.

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He argued that a senior political leader bound by an oath under the Indian Constitution ought to be more cautious while commenting on matters of national security. Thakur also pushed back at Abdullah over his remarks on Pakistan, saying that if the NC chief had so much trust in the neighbouring country, he should leave India and go there to live. He further claimed that residents of Pakistan-occupied Jammu and Kashmir (PoJK) were discontented with Pakistani rule and wished to join India instead.

The BJP leader held Pakistan responsible for decades of violence in Jammu and Kashmir, alleging its continued support for terrorism had brought bloodshed, targeted killings and the loss of countless innocent lives to the region. “Pakistan has given Kashmir nothing but terrorism, bloodshed, fear and uncertainty," Thakur said. He also questioned how Pakistan could be framed as a protector of Kashmir when its alleged role in fueling the violence was ignored.

He further contended that Pakistan’s attempts to internationalise the Kashmir issue could not absolve it of responsibility for the suffering caused by terrorism, in his view. According to Thakur, what people in Jammu and Kashmir truly want are peace, development, jobs, tourism and a secure future for their children.