Muslim Clerics Slam Farooq Abdullah Over Controversial Pakistan & Kashmir Remarks
A fierce nationwide political and religious backlash has erupted against former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Farooq Abdullah following his contentious remarks regarding Kashmir and Pakistan during a public address in Baramulla. Already facing sharp rebukes from the Bharatiya Janata Party, the veteran National Conference patron drew widespread condemnation from top Muslim religious leaders and Islamic scholars across the country on Sunday. Addressing a gathering in the Kashmir Valley, Abdullah had openly questioned the central government's policy posture on Kashmir while claiming that the neighboring nation was acting to protect the region. The assertion triggered swift repudiation from community clerics, who firmly rejected any narrative portraying Islamabad as a guardian and called out the National Conference leadership for undermining national integrity on public platforms.
'An Act of Treason': AIIA Chief Condemns Pakistan's Terror Record and Cites Pahalgam Killings
Denouncing the controversial statements in unsparing terms, All India Imams Association (AIIA) President Maulana Sajid Rashidi declared that Farooq Abdullah’s comments were deeply reprehensible and amounted to outright treason against the nation. Emphasizing that Pakistan has systematically orchestrated cross-border terrorism against India since its creation, Maulana Rashidi asserted that projecting an aggressor state as a protector insults the memory of innocent Indian citizens who lost their lives to state-sponsored militancy. Highlighting the historical brutality of cross-border terror outfits, the cleric specifically cited the grim memory of the Pahalgam massacre, where civilians were targeted and executed solely based on their religious identity, underscoring that no Indian leader should ever offer political legitimacy or moral cover to a nation with a documented legacy of bloodshed in Jammu and Kashmir.
Rejecting Foreign Dependency: Firangi Mahali and Saif Abbas Demand Unconditional Apology
Echoing widespread outrage, prominent Islamic scholars Maulana Khalid Rashid Firangi Mahali and Shia cleric Maulana Saif Abbas voiced grave displeasure over the remarks, firmly rejecting the notion of relying on a hostile neighbor for Jammu and Kashmir’s security. Both clerics asserted that Jammu and Kashmir's peace, defense, and future remain inextricably bound to the Indian constitutional framework, making any suggestion of dependence on an external foreign power completely misplaced and unacceptable. Demanding a detailed explanation and an unconditional public apology from the former Chief Minister, Maulana Firangi Mahali stated that Abdullah's utterances crossed all boundaries of responsible political conduct and served only to mislead public sentiment at a critical juncture in the Valley's democratic recovery.
