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Farooq Abdullah said the killings of Kashmiri Pandits in the 1990s did not happen under his tenure as J&K CM, but his “hua to hua” remark was sharply criticised by the BJP.
National Conference President Farooq Abdullah. (Image: PTI/File)
National Conference chief and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah stoked a row on Friday, after he said that the gruesome killings and exodus of Kashmiri Pandits in 1990 did not happen under his tenure, but if it did, “so be it”.
“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,” he said in an interview with News18 India.
When questioned over his governance ahead of the killings of Kashmiri Hindus, Abdullah said, “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?”
His remarks were reminiscent of Congress leader Sam Pitroda’s “hua to hua” remark on the 1984 communal violence in 2019 as the country was gearing up for the general elections, sparking massive backlash.
Taking to X, BJP IT department in-charge Amit Malviya slammed the former CM, saying, “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.”
कश्मीर में हिंदुओं का नरसंहार — “हुआ तो हुआ”: फारूक अब्दुल्लाकल तक पाकिस्तानियों के देश निकाले पर आंसू बहा रहे थे, अब कश्मीरी हिंदुओं की त्रासदी पर संवेदनहीनता दिखा रहे हैं। pic.twitter.com/3IvOk4BrUt— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) May 2, 2025
“Farooq’s statement is a shameless one. The terrorists responsible for the massacre of Hindus will be hunted down one by one. India will not bear the burden of such traitors — they should go to Pakistan,” BJP spokesperson Prem Shukla said.
During a period of high militancy in the region, a large population of Kashmiri Hindus were killed and compelled to leave the valley from January 19, one day after Farooq Abdullah resigned as J&K CM in protest against the appointment of Jagmohan as Governor, raising questions on whether Abdullah was aware of the plan.
More than 500,000 Kashmiri Pandits were driven from their homeland, abandoning their homes, livelihoods, and ancestral roots. Countless properties were looted, destroyed, or taken over, hundreds of temples vandalized, and nearly 1,500 community members lost their lives in brutal attack.
During the interview, Abdullah questioned the failure of the security agencies and the Indian Army in capturing the terrorists who gunned down 26 tourists in Jammu and Kashmir’s Pahalgam on April 22, which drew global condemnation. He also opposed the Centre’s decision to evict Pakistani nationals.
- Location :
Srinagar, India, India
- First Published:
