The Jammu and Kashmir unit of the BJP hit out at Farooq Abdullah for his remarks that 70 years had passed but India could not get back PoK, saying that it was the NC Chief’s father Sheikh Abdullah who convinced first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru to announce a unilateral ceasefire when the Indian Army was poised to liberate PoK.

State Spokesperson of J&K BJP Anil Gupta said the wavering stand and conflicting statements of Abdullah, MP and President of Jammu & Kashmir National Conference, were pushing the Kashmiri youth towards extremism.

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“The lingering fear of Kashmiri speaking Muslims becoming a minority and Sheikh Abdullah virtually losing the race to Premiership to some non-Kashmiri speaking leader made Sheikh convince the then Prime Minister Nehru to announce a unilateral ceasefire, when Indian Army was poised to liberate the remaining parts of the state, resulting in creation of PoJK,” he said.

“Rather than liberating POJK as promised by his father and the unanimous resolution passed by Indian Parliament, Abdullah has meekly submitted to the Pak narrative which has added to the confusion of Kashmiri youth,” he said.

Gupta said Abdullah’s recent statements have added to the confusion of Kashmiri youth who are already faced with a dilemma of politics versus religion.

“Let down by politicians like Farooq and other members of his bandwagon, they are gravitating towards radicalisation.

Terrorists like Zakir Musa are emerging as new icons. The reality is that disillusioned Kashmiri youth is looking for direction,” he added.

The BJP leader said that the youth wanted to join the national mainstream but when leaders like Abdullah parrot the Pakistani leaders and make pro-Pakistan statements, they are compelled to re-think.

“After the Prime Minister of Pakistan denounced the concept of “Azadi” for Kashmir, he also came out with a ditto statement unmindful of his earlier statements on the subject,” he said.

Gupata said Abdullah was repeatedly talking of Pakistan as a nuclear nation, giving credence to the statements of Pakistan political and military leadership resorting to ‘nuclear blackmail’ of India.

“Nuclear weapons are weapons of deterrence and not war- fighting, Abdullah should stop creating fear psychosis among the common masses,” he said.