Jammu

National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday strongly rejected the BJP’s allegations that his party encourages unrest in Jammu and Kashmir, asserting that the NC has repeatedly stood by India even at great personal cost and remains committed to doing so.

Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a two-day party convention of block-level office bearers here, the former chief minister said it was incorrect to accuse the NC and the PDP of promoting violence, including stone-pelting or terrorism. He countered that it was his party that had endured bullets for remaining aligned with the country and would not hesitate to face similar challenges again if required.

Abdullah dismissed calls for further division of Jammu and Kashmir, terming such demands ill-informed and irresponsible. He said the idea of splitting the region again served no purpose and only weakened its historical and political unity.

Referring to Ladakh’s separation as a Union Territory in 2019, Abdullah said his party had never supported the move. He claimed that many residents of Ladakh were dissatisfied with the UT status and aspired to rejoin the erstwhile state. Expressing confidence about the future, he said Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh form a single entity and hoped that Ladakh would one day return.

The NC leader also rejected proposals to carve out new districts or create separate divisions for the Pir Panjal and Chenab valleys. He described such demands as a revival of the long-abandoned Dixon Plan, formulated in 1950 by UN representative Sir Owen Dixon to resolve the Kashmir dispute by dividing the region.

Abdullah said the plan, which envisioned a division along the Chenab river, was firmly opposed by leaders of the time, including Himachal Pradesh’s first chief minister Y S Parmar. He maintained that repeated attempts to fragment the region had failed in the past and would continue to do so.

On suggestions by some BJP leaders, supported by Peoples Conference chairman Sajad Gani Lone and former Srinagar mayor Junaid Mattoo, advocating separate statehood for Jammu, Abdullah said the NC had never subscribed to such thinking.

Commenting on PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti’s remarks on unemployment and administrative restructuring, Abdullah questioned her own record as chief minister as well as that of her father, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. He said criticism was easy when leaders ignored their own responsibilities during their time in office.

Reacting to US President Donald Trump’s reported invitation to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to join a ‘Board of Peace’ for Gaza, Abdullah said the two leaders shared a long history, acknowledging that their relationship had seen ups and downs but expressing hope that it would stabilise in the future.

ALSO READ: India, UAE signs deals to deepen partnership during MBZ's short Delhi visit

On India-Pakistan relations, Abdullah criticised what he described as an excessive fixation on Pakistan, reminding the media of former prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s observation that neighbours cannot be changed. He also rejected the notion that recklessness was unique to any single nation.