Connect with us
Wednesday,05-August-2026
Breaking News

National News

Why Farooq Abdullah is Villain No. 1 in the eyes of Kashmiri Pandits?

Published

on

A majority of Kashmiri Pandits view Farooq Abdullah, the former Chief Minister of the erstwhile state of Jammu and Kashmir, as the main culprit behind the atrocities committed against them.

They believe that he was responsible for all the events that preceded the mass exodus of the minority community and the advent of terrorism in the Valley.

Farooq Abdullah was the Chief Minister from November 7, 1986 to January 18, 1990. It was this period which saw Kashmir gradually falling down the precipice, and despite warnings by intelligence agencies the indifference seemed insurmountable.

In February 1986, massive communal attacks occurred in South Kashmir. Muslim mobs looted and plundered or destroyed the properties and temples of Kashmiri Pandits.

Ghulam Mohammad Shah, the brother-in-law of Farooq Abdullah, was the Chief Minister then. He failed to curb the violence and called in the army to curb the mayhem.

His government was dismissed in March 1986 by the then Governor Jagmohan. It was reported that Mufti Sayeed, then a Congress leader, had instigated the violence as he was keen to be the Chief Minister and replace Shah.

Rajiv Gandhi was the Prime Minister then who later gave Sayeed a seat in the Rajya Sabha and also made him a Union Minister. In November 1986, after months of hectic parleys, Rajiv Gandhi and Farooq Abdullah signed an accord and the latter was reinstated as the Chief Minister.

It was this period that saw the build up to the pogrom.

Ramesh Raina, President (All India Kashmiri Samaj (AIKS), said, “This 1986-1989 period is significant in the history of Kashmir, which is often ignored. The exodus did not happen overnight. There was full preparation for this. Abudllah fooled the nation with this accord. You can say he was incompetent and he didn’t have any control, or you can say he was totally involved, knew everything and let things build up.”

Panun Kashmir leader Ramesh Manvat said, “Muslim Conference, the original avatar of ‘National’ Conference started as a group to fight for the rights of Muslims in Kashmir in 1930s; turned their tide against then Maharaja Hari Singh; nourished the dream of an Independent Kashmir (following their call of ‘Quit Kashmir’ in 1940s) — leading to the dismissal of its founder Sheikh Mohammad Abdullah in 1950s … The legacy of communal Muslim mindset and inconsistencies in National Conference’s approach towards minorities — Kashmiri Pandits and the ‘idea of India’ they represent have been carried forward by Farooq Abdullah, during his long reign as CM of J&K.

“Farooq Abdullah, as a tacit supporter of the happenings on the ground was busy playing golf and giving joy rides to Bollywood heroines, before finally choosing to run away to London when Kashmir was burning and a full-blown genocide of Pandits was taking place.”

Former Director General of Police of Jammu and Kashmir, Shesh Paul Vaid, tweeted on March 16: “Many people in the country do not know this #KashmirFiles fact: first batch of ISI trained were arrested by J&K Police but ill-thought political decisions had them released and the same terrorists later on led the many terrorist organisations in J&K.”

Vaid was the DGP of J&K from December 31, 2016 till September 6, 2018. He also added in his tweet: “Some of the notorious names: Mohammed Afzal Sheikh of Trehgam Rafiq Ahmed Ahangar Mohammad Ayub Najar Farooq Ahmed Ganai Ghulam Mohammed Gujri Farooq Ahmed Malik Nazir Ahmed Sheikh Ghulam Mohi-Ud-Din Teli. Could this have been possible w/o the knowledge of the Union Govt of 1989?”

The fact that the intelligence agencies had repeatedly been alerting about the hordes of Kashmiris, especially youth, crossing over to PoK for arms training, went largely unheard of.

A lot of kidnappings were taking place, especially of the government employees, a maximum number of them were Kashmiri Pandits, but no action was taken.

Threats were openly given in local newspapers, posters were pasted and hit-lists made, but the administration seemed lifeless. The then Governor Jagmohan had mentioned the situation to then Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi through letters dated April 20, 1990.

“Need I remind you that from the beginning of 1988, I had started sending ‘Warning Signals’ to you about the gathering storm in Kashmir? But you and the power wielders around you had neither the time, nor the inclination, nor the vision, to see these signals. They were so clear, so pointed, that to ignore them was to commit sins of true historical proportions,” Jagmohan wrote in the letter.

His fear came true and the minorities and moderates had to bear the brunt even as Farooq Abdullah left the Valley for London soon after.

“Fifty per cent Kashmiri Pandits fled on January 19. It did not happen suddenly. Farooq Abdullah knows all. He has to answer,” said Ramesh Raina.

“Farooq Abdullah ran away to London while the Valley was burning. He was the founder member of Alfata, JKLF. While he was in chair, youth were freely transported to Pakistan through the LoC. How was it possible without his knowing?

“Why were terrorists being released from jail then? Why did he resign overnight and the next day the exodus happened? It was all planned because then all would have come to his head. So he resigned. But could the exodus have happened without a plot behind it,” he asked.

While Farooq Abdullah was in J&K, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed was the Home Minister at the Centre. His role as HM is also questioned by the community.

Surinder Kaul, the chief of Global Kashmiri Pandit Diaspora, said, “After we were forced to flee from Kashmir, we staged protests. I remember one meeting with then Home Minister Mufti Sayeed in 1990. All he had to say was ‘yes, this is not ok’.

“He had no answers to our questions. We told him, ‘why the local police and intelligence network had just vanished. Why was no one doing their work? Why was there no security’. But he just kept mum. That day I realised that the state and Central power system of our country had collapsed and no one was there to help us.”

“Farooq Abdullah has double standards. He always speaks one thing in Delhi and another in Kashmir. He never provided good governance. He protected the elite and never worked for the common people. To keep his fiefdom alive, he divided the communities. When Kashmiri Pandits were being killed, maimed, women were gang-raped, loot and arson had become the order of the day, where was he,” Kaul asked.

There have been times when Farooq Abdullah had borne the brunt of Kashmiri Pandits’ ire. In 2019, when he tried to meet a group of Kashmiri Pandits, who had come to Srinagar on a pilgrimage visit, he had to make a hastened retreat after slogans were raised against him.

Kashmiri Pandits feel that if Farooq Abdullah had taken strong steps, Kashmir would not have fallen to terrorism and the minorities would not have been tormented and forced out.

The community is seeking answers, and wants a judicial commission be instituted and Farooq Abdullah to be the first one to be investigated.

National News

Assam flood: Door-to-door damage assessment from August 9

Published

on

Guwahati, Aug 4: Assam Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma, on Tuesday assured flood-affected families of comprehensive government support, announcing that officials will undertake a door-to-door assessment of damaged households from August 9 to ensure that relief and rehabilitation benefits reach every eligible beneficiary.

Addressing inmates at a relief camp in Sivasagar district, one of the worst-affected areas in this year’s floods, Sarma said the state government is committed to standing by every affected family until normalcy is restored.

“We are taking feedback from every affected family to see if they have received relief and help. Starting from August 9, our teams will reach every home of the affected families to conduct a ground assessment of the damage,” the Chief Minister said.

He said the survey aims to verify the extent of losses suffered by families and ensure that rehabilitation assistance is provided in a transparent and timely manner.

“I want to assure every flood-affected family in Assam that in this difficult time, the government stands with them at every step. From rehabilitation to restoring life to normalcy, every possible assistance will be provided. Today, in a relief camp in Sivasagar, I reiterated this very resolve,” Sarma added.

The Chief Minister interacted with families staying at the relief camp and reviewed the availability of food, drinking water, healthcare and other essential services.

He also took stock of the ongoing relief operations and rehabilitation measures being carried out by the district administration.

Sivasagar has emerged as the worst-hit district in terms of fatalities during this year’s floods, prompting the state government to intensify relief and rehabilitation efforts in the region.

The Assam government has already initiated restoration of damaged infrastructure, distribution of relief materials and assessment of losses in several flood-affected districts.

Officials said the proposed household survey from August 9 will help prepare a comprehensive database of damages, enabling the administration to expedite compensation, rehabilitation and other forms of assistance for affected families.

Continue Reading

National News

Assam CM backs Jharkhand students’ protest over recruitment exam irregularities

Published

on

Guwahati, Aug 4: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday voiced support for students protesting in Jharkhand over alleged irregularities in recruitment examinations, accusing the ruling JMM-Congress-RJD alliance of failing to address their grievances in a transparent and timely manner.

In a post on social media platform X, CM Sarma said he had witnessed the concerns of recruitment aspirants firsthand during the Jharkhand Assembly election campaign and asserted that their demands deserved a fair hearing.

“During the Jharkhand Assembly elections, I had the opportunity to closely witness the pain, anger and concerns of JSSC-CGL aspirants regarding the recruitment process,” the Chief Minister said.

CM Sarma maintained that the prevailing unrest could have been prevented had the Jharkhand government acted promptly on the complaints raised by the candidates.

According to him, a sensitive and transparent response from the state administration would have helped restore confidence among aspirants.

He further alleged that repeated allegations of examination irregularities and question paper leaks had created uncertainty over the future of a large number of young job seekers in the state.

“Unfortunately, allegations of irregularities and paper leaks have continued to mount, and today the future of lakhs of youth is in crisis,” CM Sarma said.

Extending what he termed his “moral support” to the agitating students, the Assam Chief Minister urged the Jharkhand government to accept their legitimate demands and ensure justice.

“I express my moral support for this just movement of Jharkhand’s students and youth and urge the state government to immediately accept the legitimate demands of the students and deliver justice to them. Injustice with the future of the youth cannot be acceptable at any cost,” he added.

CM Sarma’s remarks come amid continuing protests in Ranchi, where students have been demonstrating against alleged irregularities in examinations conducted by the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) and the Jharkhand Staff Selection Commission (JSSC).

The protesters have demanded the cancellation of the 14th JPSC Combined Preliminary Examination held on April 19 and sought an independent probe by central agencies, including the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) and the Enforcement Directorate (ED), into the alleged irregularities in the state’s recruitment process.

Continue Reading

National News

BJP accuses Opposition of paralysing Parliament, alleges ‘selective outrage’ on paper leaks

Published

on

New Delhi, Aug 4: The BJP on Tuesday accused the opposition of repeatedly disrupting Parliament proceedings and preventing the House from functioning during the ongoing Monsoon Session.

The remarks came amid continued disruptions in the Monsoon Session over the NEET paper leak controversy and the police action against protesters at Jantar Mantar on July 20. Opposition parties have been demanding a response from the Union Home Minister over the alleged “firing” on the protesters.

Addressing a press conference at the BJP headquarters in New Delhi, party national spokesperson and MP Sambit Patra alleged that the Congress and its allies were deliberately obstructing parliamentary business, depriving elected representatives of the opportunity to raise public issues and discuss important legislation.

“The way the 2026 Monsoon Session of Parliament is being conducted and how the Congress party, along with some of its allies, has been disrupting the proceedings. Crores of rupees are spent on every Parliament session. MPs come to Parliament with questions and issues from their constituencies, expecting the concerned ministries to respond so that development work can move forward. However, since the session began, the Question Hour has not been allowed to function, disruptions have repeatedly affected the Zero Hour, and hardly any Bills have been taken up for discussion,” Patra said.

Referring to recent protests by students in Karnataka over the paper leak and irregularities in police constable recruitment, Patra accused the Congress of adopting double standards while responding to students’ concerns in states governed by the party.

“The media asked Priyank Kharge, son of Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge and Karnataka Home Minister, if he would take responsibility, as the state Home Minister. Kharge arrogantly said, ‘First let the students go on a 25-day hunger strike, then we’ll lathi-charge them, and then we’ll worry about our resignations’. Rahul Gandhi remained silent on this statement, and I can confidently say that even today he will not allow the House to function. This shows the Congress’s double standards,” the BJP MP said.

Patra further alleged that while Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge spoke extensively in the Rajya Sabha on issues concerning students, the party leadership had remained silent over the remarks attributed to Priyank Kharge.

“Mallikarjun Kharge stands up in the Rajya Sabha and speaks for hours. It’s good that at least there was a discussion, but when his son makes an insensitive and inhuman statement on the same issue in Karnataka, Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge remain silent,” he said.

The BJP spokesperson also claimed that Congress had ignored similar protests in Jharkhand, where thousands of students were demonstrating over examination-related issues.

“They are still silent on the Jharkhand Public Service Commission (JPSC) exam irregularities and are not responding to it. Congress MLAs are avoiding raising the issue in the House. Not even a single placard was seen in Congress hands regarding the Jharkhand JPSC exam, as this is selective outrage and the Congress party wants political gains from this issue,” he said.

Patra also criticised the Opposition for “blocking” discussion on key legislative business during the session, including the Births and Deaths Registration (Amendment) Bill, 2026.

“The Births and Deaths Registration (Amendment) Bill 2026 asks how many days should births and deaths be registered, and what the consequences will be if they are not. Births and deaths are continuous processes that continue across the country and the world. Congress and its allies prevented discussion on how citizens can exercise their rights and what the new law contains,” he said.

Highlighting another pending piece of legislation, the BJP MP said Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had introduced the Bankers’ Book Evidence Bill, 2026, on Monday. Still, Parliament could not deliberate on it because of repeated disruptions.

“It’s a huge bill because everyone is concerned with banking, but the people of India who are concerned with banking don’t get to hear any discussion about the Bankers’ Book Evidence Bill 2026 because of the chaos in the House,” he added.

Continue Reading

Trending