Obliquely defending the stone throwers in Kashmir and seeking to separate them from terrorism, former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister and opposition National Conference (NC) president Dr Farooq Abdullah on Wednesday said the stone throwers were rendering their lives for the resolution of Kashmir issue.
Abdullah, who is fighting by-poll from the Srinagar-Budgam parliamentary constituency scheduled to go for polls on April 9, was addressing a group of party workers at his high security Gupkar Road residence here. He took a dig at Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remark that Kashmiri youth must choose between tourism and terrorism. Modi said that at a public gathering last week after inaugurating Chenani-Nashri tunnel on Srinagar-Jammu National highway.
“PM Modi while inaugurating the tunnel said that the youth in Kashmir should choose between tourism and terrorism. I want to tell him from this stage that the tourism is our lifeline and there is no doubt over it. But the youth throwing stones have nothing to do with tourism. They are not rendering their lives for tourism but for the resolution of Kashmir issue,” Abdullah said.
“The youth who are pelting stones for the nation want a concrete resolution that accommodates the aspirations of people of Kashmir,” Abdullah said.
He said that Modi does not provide food and livelihood to the people but it is Almighty Allah who provides food to people irrespective of their religious beliefs. He castigated alleged intrusion into the religious affairs of other communities. “We as Muslims have never raised fingers over their religion (Hindu religion). I have myself sung hymns (bhajans) but they must not interfere in our religion,” he said.
Favouring dialogue for the resolution of Kashmir issue, Abdullah said that the dialogue must be initiated to avoid any possible escalation between India and Pakistan. “Dialogue must be initiated to resolve the Kashmir issue before the possible war between the two countries,” he said.