J&K Congress distances itself from Farooq Abdullah's Pakistan remarks after strong backlash

Congress rejects Pakistan narrative after Baramulla speech

The Congress party has explicitly distanced itself from its Jammu and Kashmir ally Farooq Abdullah after the National Conference president claimed Pakistan was "protecting" Kashmiris by keeping the Kashmir issue alive internationally.

Reaffirming India's territorial sovereignty, Jammu and Kashmir Pradesh Congress Committee chief spokesperson Ravinder Sharma stated that Pakistan has no authority to comment on or interfere in India's internal affairs. Sharma stressed that Jammu and Kashmir remains an integral part of India, firmly condemning Pakistan's persistent role in sponsoring cross-border terrorism and causing decades of bloodshed in the region.

The controversy stems from an address delivered by Abdullah at a party workers' convention in Baramulla, where he questioned whether the people of Jammu and Kashmir could expect justice from New Delhi and asserted that Islamabad's international posturing was preventing Kashmiris from being erased.

Political leaders and civil groups condemn Abdullah's statements

Abdullah's statements triggered widespread outrage across political lines, with leaders highlighting Pakistan's long history of destabilising Jammu and Kashmir while ignoring the region's steady democratic and economic progress under Indian administration.

Democratic Progressive Azad Party president Ghulam Nabi Azad rejected Abdullah's assertion, calling Pakistan "our destroyer, not our saviour." Azad noted that successive Central governments, from Jawaharlal Nehru to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, have consistently driven development in Jammu and Kashmir, whereas Pakistan-sponsored militants caused widespread civilian deaths and forced the mass displacement of Kashmiri Pandits.

Bharatiya Janata Party spokesperson Altaf Thakur branded Abdullah's remarks "seditious and anti-national", urging authorities to initiate legal proceedings. Meanwhile, Kashmiri Pandit organisations, including Panun Kashmir and the Jammu State People's Movement, lodged a formal police complaint at the Channi police station in Jammu, seeking an FIR under Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita Sections 152, 196, and 197 for acts endangering national sovereignty and unity.

BJP attacks Congress leadership over Patna rally remarks

The dispute over Abdullah's remarks coincided with a sharp clash between the BJP and Congress following personal attacks made by Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Speaking at an event in Patna marking the 139th birth anniversary of Bihar's first chief minister Shrikrishna Singh, Kharge responded to an audience member during a speech on electoral roll revisions by saying, "Modi ka baap bhi jayega" (Even Modi's father will go).

Union Home Minister Amit Shah strongly condemned the remark, stating that Kharge had torn apart political decorum by insulting the Prime Minister's family. Shah noted that repeated electoral rejections had driven the Congress leadership to slander, contrasting personal attacks with the government's focus on national stability and governance.