Atmosphere of hate deepening divide between communities: Farooq, Mehbooba

Farooq said if the gap between the communities is to be bridged, hateful campaigns like ‘The Kashmir Files’ film and Hindu-Muslim debates in the media have to be stopped.

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti on Monday said an atmosphere of hate had been created in the country that was driving a wedge between different communities and called for efforts to arrest this trend.

Former Jammu and Kashmir chief ministers Farooq Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti said an atmosphere of hate had been created in the country that was driving a wedge between different communities and called for efforts to arrest this trend. (ANI)

Abdullah said if the gap between the communities is to be bridged, hateful campaigns like ‘The Kashmir Files’ film and Hindu-Muslim debates in the media have to be stopped.

“If we have to come close to each other, this hate has to be removed. I told him (lieutenant governor) about that film (The Kashmir Files) also. I asked him if he thought it can be true that a Muslim will kill a Hindu and then put the blood in rice and ask his wife to eat it? Do you think we have fallen so low?” he said.

Abdullah said, “ The Kashmir Files was a baseless movie which not only spread hatred across the country but even here in Kashmir.” PDP president Mehbooba Mufti, who was part of the PAGD delegation, said the National Conference, PDP and Congress governments ensured the safety of Kashmiri Pandits even at the peak of unrest in the Valley in 2010 and 2016.

“They have created an atmosphere of hate, especially after the release of ‘The Kashmir Files’ movie. A narrative is being pushed to poison minds. The constant Hindu-Muslim debate on TV channels is further fuelling this,” Mehbooba said.