Ishfaq gulzar cni
Jammu, (cni): National Conference president Farooq Abdullah on Tuesday asserted that his party has a proven history of standing with India even at the cost of lives and remains prepared to make similar sacrifices, rejecting BJP allegations that the NC promotes unrest, stone-pelting or terrorism in Jammu and Kashmir.

Addressing reporters on the sidelines of the party’s two-day convention of block presidents and secretaries here, as per news agency cni, Farooq dismissed demands for further bifurcation of Jammu and Kashmir, terming such calls as “ill-informed and baseless.”

He also expressed hope that Ladakh, carved out as a separate Union Territory in 2019, would one day be reunited with the erstwhile state.

Reacting to remarks by a senior BJP leader accusing the NC and PDP of thriving on instability, Abdullah said the accusations were laughable.

“Those who wish to create disturbance should look at themselves. We have faced bullets to remain with India and are ready to face them again, if required,” he said.

Abdullah ruled out the need for creating new districts or separate divisions within the Union Territory. He criticised the demand for separate divisions for the Pir Panjal and Chenab valleys, stating that such ideas echo the decades-old Dixon Plan aimed at dividing the erstwhile state.

Commenting on calls for a separate Jammu state, supported by some political leaders, Abdullah said the National Conference has never endorsed such thinking. “This is the state of Jammu, Kashmir and Ladakh. Even people in Ladakh today are saying they do not want Union Territory status and seek reunification,” he added.

On unemployment, Abdullah countered criticism from PDP chief Mehbooba Mufti by questioning her tenure and that of her late father, Mufti Mohammad Sayeed, stating that it was easy to blame others while overlooking one’s own record.

Touching upon foreign policy, Abdullah said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump share a long-standing relationship, expressing hope that it would continue to strengthen. He also remarked that dialogue with Pakistan cannot be ruled out, recalling former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s assertion that neighbours cannot be changed.

Abdullah further accused sections of the media of harbouring “Pakistan phobia,” stressing that recklessness is not limited to any one nation. Cni