Jammu, Jan 20 (JKNS): National Conference president Dr Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday asserted that his party has a long and proven record of standing firmly with India, even at the cost of bloodshed, and remains ready to make any sacrifice for the nation, while dismissing allegations by the BJP that the NC encourages unrest or militancy in Jammu and Kashmir.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the party’s two-day convention of block presidents and secretaries here as per news agency JKNS, Farooq Abdullah termed demands for further division of Jammu and Kashmir as “misguided and irresponsible,” reiterating that the NC does not support any move to fragment the Union Territory.
He also expressed hope that Ladakh, which was separated as a Union Territory in 2019, would eventually be reunited with the erstwhile state. “This land has always been one—Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh,” he said.
Responding to accusations by BJP leaders that the NC and PDP thrive on instability, Abdullah brushed them aside, saying those spreading chaos should introspect. “We have taken bullets to remain with India and, if needed, we are prepared to face them again,” he said.
Abdullah rejected demands for new districts or separate divisions, particularly in Pir Panjal and the Chenab Valley, saying such proposals resemble the old Dixon Plan that aimed at dividing the state. “These ideas are dangerous and unacceptable,” he said.
Reacting to recent remarks by PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti on unemployment and governance, Abdullah questioned her record as Chief Minister as well as that of her late father, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed. “It is easy to criticise others while ignoring one’s own failures,” he said.
On calls for a separate Jammu state by some political leaders, Abdullah reiterated that the NC has never supported such a notion. “Even people of Ladakh today say they do not want UT status and wish to return to the state,” he added.
Touching upon external affairs, Abdullah said Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump share a long association and expressed hope that ties would strengthen further. On Pakistan, he said dialogue cannot be ruled out, recalling former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s remark that neighbours cannot be changed.
He also criticised sections of the media for what he termed as “Pakistan phobia,” asserting that recklessness is not the monopoly of any single country. (JKNS)
