Mehbooba accuses Farooq of ‘implicating’ Kashmiris in Pahalgam attack, NC retorts

A war of words erupted between the National Conference (NC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on Saturday after PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti accused NC leader Farooq Abdullah of making a “statement implicating Kashmiris in the Pahalgam terror attack.”

Mehbooba Mufti praised Himanshi Narwal, the widow of Lt. Vinay Narwal, who was killed in the Pahalgam attack, for her appeal for communal harmony, stating that the nation should take inspiration from her.

Referencing Himanshi Narwal’s plea, “don’t want people going after Muslims and Kashmiris,” Mehbooba Mufti criticised Farooq Abdullah for his remarks to the media, where he suggested that the April 22nd attack could not have occurred without local support.

In a media interview, Abdullah had reportedly stated, “I do not think these things can happen unless someone helped them. They came from there. How did they come?”

The PDP president deemed Abdullah’s comments “misleading” and “fatal,” particularly when Kashmiri students and traders were already vulnerable to reprisals following the Pahalgam incident.

“Farooq Sahab’s statement implicating Kashmiris in the Pahalgam terror attack is deeply disturbing and regrettable. As a senior leader, that too as a Kashmiri, his statement risks fuelling divisive narratives providing ammunition to certain media channels to further stereotype and stigmatise Kashmiris and Muslims,” Mehbooba said in a post on X.

“We should draw inspiration from Himanshi Narwal, who, despite the martyrdom of her husband, urged Indians not to blame and target Kashmiris or Muslims,” she added.

In response, NC chief spokesperson and MLA Tanvir Sadiq accused Mehbooba Mufti of misrepresentation. “It’s shocking that someone who has served as CM would stoop this low. Dr Farooq Abdullah never mentioned ‘Kashmiris’ or ‘locals’,” he asserted.

“At a time when we’re trying to protect Kashmiri students, traders, and families across India, it’s shameful to misrepresent his words and endanger them further,” Sadiq stated.

“Mehbooba should apologise and delete that tweet unless she can prove he said what she claims. This is not politics, it’s recklessness,” Sadiq added.

J & K