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Farooq Abdullah’s ‘hua to hua’ remark on Kashmiri Hindu killings sparks BJP backlash
Farooq Abdullah also questioned the "failure of security forces and Indian Army to capture terrorists" responsible for the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22.
National Conference leader and former Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Farooq Abdullah sparked controversy with his comments regarding the 1990 killings of Kashmiri Pandits saying, “If it happened, so be it,” adding, “hua to hua” (if it did “so be it”).
In an interview to a news portal, Farooq Abdullah recalled when he in 1984 resigned in protest after Jagmohan was appointed the governor, and the state's assembly was dismissed, four years after which thousands of Hindu families left Kashmir on January 19.
“I resigned in protest against Jagmohan being appointed as Governor. Had I known what was going to happen on the 19th (January), I would have informed the Government of India. I resigned after warning the government about the violence. You’re putting all the blame on me. You want to hold me responsible for the genocide. Even we lost 1,500 people in that massacre,” Farooq Abdullah said in an interview with News18.
He also challenged the criticism of his governance during the killings, stating, “If you want to hold me accountable, take me to court. You’re one-sided. You want to hang me. If the massacre happened during my tenure, then so be it — what can I do?"
In the same interview, Abdullah questioned the failure of security forces and the Indian Army to capture the terrorists responsible for the Pahalgam terror attack on April 22, which resulted in the deaths of 26 tourists. He also opposed the government’s decision to evict Pakistani nationals from Jammu and Kashmir.
Meanwhile, Farooq Abdullah on Saturday stressed that they will never stand with Pakistan.
Follow live updates on Pahalgam terror attack
“...Who were they who killed Kashmiri Pandits. Being the CM, the places where I couldn't go, Mehbooba Mufti used to go to the houses of terrorists. We have never been with terrorism, and we have never been a Pakistani - neither we were nor we will be. Kashmir is a crown of India... Amarnath Ji is here, and he will protect us,” ANI news agency quoted Farooq Abdullah
He added, “We are a poor region. The only thing that we have is natural beauty... But, this place is crying today... I appeal to the people to come, and they'll definitely come.”
BJP IT cell head Amit Malviya reacted on X, sharing the clip and stating, “Genocide of Hindus in Kashmir — “It happened, so what”: Farooq Abdullah. Till yesterday they were shedding tears over the deportation of Pakistanis, now they are showing insensitivity towards the tragedy of Kashmiri Hindus.”
Farooq says tourists are ‘not scared’ after Pahalgam attack
Speaking to reporters about the Pahalgam terror attack, Farooq Abdullah said that the key message was that tourists are "not scared."
He said, "The people who wanted to spread fear have lost. They (terrorists) have lost. It has been proven today that we are not going to get scared. Kashmir was and will always be a part of India. People want terrorism to finish. It has been 35 years since we have seen terrorism; we want progress. We want to move forward. We will become a superpower one day."
On Saturday, Abdullah urged the people of Jammu and Kashmir to unite against those responsible for Pahalgam-like attacks in the pursuit of progress and prosperity. The former chief minister visited the home of Adil Hussain Shah, a pony ride operator who was one of the 26 victims, in Hapatnaar, a district in south Kashmir.
He called Shah a martyr, stating, "He (Shah) is a martyr. He sacrificed his life, he was not afraid of the guns of the beasts. This is 'insaniyat (humanity)', this is Kashmiriyat. One who is afraid is dead."
Abdullah further said, "We have to fight them (terrorists) and fight them with courage. We will never be happy and prosperous and we can never move forward until we fight them. So, we must have courage."
When asked about India's actions against Pakistan following the attack, Abdullah chose not to comment, saying, "Our prime minister will take such a decision."
