‘BJP always wants to enslave Kashmiris’: Farooq Abdullah slams saffron party’s criticism of statehood resolution
Srinagar : National Conference (NC) president Farooq Abdullah has said that the BJP is seeking to keep the people of Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir (IIOJK) “enslaved”, while reacting to the saffron party’s opposition to the statehood resolution recently passed by the territory’s Assembly.
According to Kashmir Media Service, speaking to reporters in Srinagar, Farooq Abdullah said, “Right from the beginning, they (the BJP) have wanted to enslave the people of Jammu and Kashmir. There is nothing new in that.”
Asked whether the autonomy issue was still relevant, the NC president said, “Who says it doesn’t hold value?” He added that statehood and autonomy have no significance for the BJP, saying that “we have to strongly counter it.”
Notably, on September 28, the IIOJK Assembly passed a resolution, urging the BJP-led Indian government to restore statehood to the territory immediately. The resolution also made a reference to the previous resolutions passed by the House on greater autonomy and special status.
The resolution stated, “In addition to the resolutions passed by this House on 26 June 2000 and 6 November 2024, the House calls upon the Government of India for the immediate and urgent restoration of full statehood to Jammu and Kashmir and resolves that this resolution be forwarded to the Government of India.”
On June 26, 2000, the NC-led government had passed a resolution for restoration of greater autonomy as existed before August 9, 1953. On November 6, 2024, the house passed a resolution seeking the restoration of IIOJK’s special status that was abrogated on August 5, 2019.
