JAMMU — National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Monday flagged growing religious polarisation in the country, alleging that hate politics was being fuelled for electoral gains, and questioned who was responsible for spreading divisive narratives in Jammu.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a party function here, the former chief minister said the people in Jammu and Kashmir chose India over Pakistan in 1947 and have consistently fought against the neighbouring country, which continues to create disturbances in the region.
When asked about the heated debate surrounding a recent comment made by music maestro A R Rahman regarding a decline in work from Bollywood and suggesting it might be linked to a “communal issue,” Abdullah noted that a fire of hatred has emerged in the country over the past few years, deliberately dividing Hindus and Muslims for electoral purposes.
“What should we do in such a situation? This country belongs to everyone. India has always stood as an example of unity in diversity, where people of all religions live together,” he said.
However, he also mentioned that if some individuals choose to incite divisions in the name of religion, it becomes challenging to stop them, noting that such tendencies are not new.
He cited an example of protests in Jammu over the admission of Muslim students into the Vaishno Devi Medical College, which led to the withdrawal of the college’s permission letter.
“Who is responsible for spreading hatred in Jammu? Who is raising slogans to separate Jammu, and who is behind it?” he asked, in an apparent jibe at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), which has supported the agitation seeking reservation of all seats at Mata Vaishno Devi medical college for Hindu students, with some of its leaders advocating statehood for Jammu.
Asked about Pakistan’s continuous attempt to foment trouble in Jammu and Kashmir by sending drones, narcotics and weapons, he said the neighbouring country will never give up doing mischief in the Valley.
“We have fought against Pakistan. If we wanted to go to Pakistan, we would have done so in 1947. We did not go to Pakistan; we stayed in India. We remained in Gandhi’s India,” Abdullah said.
The NC president, however, said that India of today is no longer the same as Gandhi’s India, and people now feel uncomfortable. “Who is fighting for religion? Who is building the temple for Gandhi’s murderer?” he asked.
Asked about the BJP’s civic poll victory in Maharashtra, he said that victory and defeat are part of the elections, and there is nothing new in it. “Why are you making it a big issue?” he questioned.
Abdullah is currently chairing a two-day conference of the party’s block presidents and secretaries of the Jammu region.
“Basically, we want to engage with the party leadership to discuss how the organisation can be strengthened, identify our shortcomings, and work out ways to address them. That is why we are holding this meeting.
“Our block presidents and block secretaries rarely get a chance to speak, so this conference has been organised to listen to their issues and resolve them,” he said.
He also expressed confidence that statehood to Jammu and Kashmir would be restored sooner or later. — (PTI)