A single speech in north Kashmir has set off the sharpest political row of the weekend. National Conference president Farooq Abdullah, addressing party workers in Baramulla on Saturday, said Pakistan was “protecting” the people of Jammu and Kashmir by repeatedly raising the Kashmir issue at international forums, while questioning whether the people of the region could expect justice from Delhi.
The remarks drew a furious BJP response through Saturday night and into Sunday, with leaders calling the comments seditious and demanding legal action. The Vishwa Hindu Parishad joined the attack on Sunday, demanding an apology.
What Abdullah said in Baramulla
Abdullah urged the party faithful to stay loyal and united, in power or out of it, and argued that Kashmiris must have the courage to speak up for themselves.
“What can you expect from Delhi? You must have the courage to stand up to them and fight. If you do not, you will be wiped out. Your name and identity will disappear, and no one will even remember you,” he said, according to reports of the speech.
He then turned to Pakistan’s role, saying the neighbour was constantly raising the Kashmir issue around the world. “Our neighbour is constantly after them. It goes everywhere, saying that the Kashmir issue has not been resolved. It is protecting us; otherwise, their intentions are not good,” he said, in remarks widely understood as contrasting Pakistan’s international campaigning with what he described as Delhi’s intentions.
Abdullah added a line his supporters have since pointed to as the fuller context of the speech. “You must have the courage to stand by the truth. Speaking the truth is not easy, but unless you speak the truth and stand firm by it, your future will never be secure,” he said.
He also stressed that the people of Jammu and Kashmir had never denied their Indian identity, saying they had repeatedly affirmed their accession to the India of Mahatma Gandhi, Jawaharlal Nehru and Maulana Abul Kalam Azad.
Why the BJP reacted so strongly
The BJP’s response was swift and unusually blunt. Party leaders accused Abdullah of echoing Pakistan’s narrative, and several went further, using words like treason and sedition that are rarely aimed at a former chief minister and sitting party president.
BJP Jammu and Kashmir leader Ravinder Raina called the statement “highly condemnable and unfortunate” and an “act of treason”. “Pakistan is the killer of the people of Jammu and Kashmir. Over the last 35 years, Pakistan has sought to turn Jammu and Kashmir into a graveyard. How could Pakistan ever be a well-wisher to the people of Jammu and Kashmir?” he said.
Senior BJP leader and Jammu and Kashmir spokesperson Altaf Thakur described the remarks as “seditious and anti-national” and demanded that the authorities examine the statements and initiate legal action. “A leader who has taken an oath under the Constitution cannot be allowed to question the country’s intentions towards its own people while giving political legitimacy to Pakistan’s narrative,” he said.
Uttar Pradesh minister Suresh Kumar Khanna accused Abdullah of exploiting Kashmiris through his political career, while BJP national spokesperson R P Singh asked him to look at the condition of Kashmiris in Pakistan occupied Kashmir and argued Kashmir was doing better after the abrogation of Article 370. NDA ministers Dilip Ghosh and O P Rajbhar echoed that line, saying people in Jammu and Kashmir wanted development and that violence in the region had largely been brought to a halt.
VHP joins the attack, Omar stays silent so far
The Vishwa Hindu Parishad sharpened the attack further on Sunday. VHP national spokesperson Vinod Bansal said, “Eat in India and praise Pakistan won’t work,” and demanded that Abdullah apologise to the country immediately, failing which action should be considered under sedition or other applicable laws. Bansal also asked Chief Minister Omar Abdullah to clarify whether he stood with his father or with the country.
Omar Abdullah, Farooq Abdullah’s son, leads the National Conference government in Jammu and Kashmir. As of late Saturday, he had not publicly reacted to his father’s remarks, leaving the party’s official position to be read from the speech itself rather than from any clarification from Srinagar.
What happens next
What happens next depends on three things:
- Whether the National Conference issues a clarification or stands by the speech as reported.
- Whether any formal complaint or legal step follows the BJP’s demand for action.
- Whether Chief Minister Omar Abdullah publicly addresses the remarks, and what he says.
None of those steps had been taken as of Sunday morning. What is already clear is that a speech meant for party workers has become a national controversy.
FAQs
What did Farooq Abdullah say? At a National Conference workers convention in Baramulla on Saturday, he said Pakistan was “protecting” Kashmiris by keeping the Kashmir issue alive internationally, while questioning Delhi’s intentions towards the region.
Why has the BJP objected? BJP leaders say the remarks echo Pakistan’s narrative. Several called the comments seditious and anti-national and demanded legal action.
Has the National Conference clarified the remarks? Not as of late Saturday. Chief Minister Omar Abdullah had not publicly reacted to his father’s speech, and no formal party clarification had been issued.
What is the VHP demanding? The Vishwa Hindu Parishad has demanded an immediate apology from Farooq Abdullah and said action under sedition or other applicable laws should be considered if he does not apologise.
